Creative Slate & Vision

Pen·tal·o·gy (n.) From the Greek penta- ("five") and -logy ("study" or "narrative").

At its core, this pentalogy is a deep character study of women navigating layered narratives—an exploration of the masks we wear and the psychological toll they take on us. I found that the best way to explore those emotional complexities was by merging my love for both Western and Eastern storytelling—utilizing 3-Act, Non-linear Fabula/Syuzhet, Kishōtenketsu, and Triptych narrative structures. By blending these frameworks, the pentalogy delivers emotionally resonant, genre-blending character studies that center complex Black women and men, supported by rich, dynamic ensembles. Grounded in my roots, the entire slate is designed to be filmed almost exclusively against the backdrop of New Jersey. The sole exception is a brief, vital trip to Abuja, Nigeria, to capture the awe-inspiring 100,000-capacity Glory Dome at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre for Unspoken and Unsighted. While each script stands alone, they share complementary themes and build upon one another to create a cinematic event that begins first with the raw exploration of human behavior by our actors. To bring healing and wholeness to a generation that endures trauma and depression like never before, these scripts all subtly weave in the comfort that brought me through my own dark seasons—that is, Christ.

My intent is to bring this entire pentalogy to life by directing all five features. By combining incredible talent with the freedom of vérité-style shooting, these features will have a deeply visceral, lived-in feeling. Allowing the camera to serve this generation's best actors will be key in bringing these stories to life and selling their emotional truths. Built upon the foundation of these elevated, character-driven scripts and the actors attached to them, I know that something truly special can be made here.

By utilizing an agile production model and an on-set editor, this pentalogy is designed to be shot and released in a highly efficient time frame. After a meticulous pre-production and rehearsal period, my goal is to shoot all five films over a continuous six-month production window, dedicating about 20 to 30 days to film each one. This mirrors the efficiency of the classic studio era and B-movies, as well as the methods utilized by many of our great independent directors today on films such as Moonlight and Dallas Buyers Club.

The vision culminates in a groundbreaking theatrical event spanning a single month, partnering with movie theaters to release two discounted double features every other week (Palliative paired with Unspoken and Unsighted, followed by Disco Fries paired with I'm Tired of Feeling), wrapping up with a single-feature release of The Quietest Room. This ambitious, rapid-fire release strategy is designed to leave a massive and lasting impact on cinema and on the hearts of audiences around the world.

Please enjoy the partial lookbook located on the next tab. Underneath it, you will find a deeper dive into my directorial vision and the detailed production strategy engineered to bring this pentalogy to life—using some of the very same methods the old Hollywood system utilized to produce some of our favorite films.

~ Kiana Queen