Freedom’s Path is the farewell film of two acclaimed actors whose lives were abruptly cut short during post-production. Opening nationwide on the big screen February 3rd for Black History Month, this movie pays tribute to the Tony-nominated Thomas Jefferson Byrd, and chameleon Carol Sutton, revered for her roles in films like Ray, Monster’s Ball and Steel Magnolias. Freedom’s Path writer/director, Brett Smith, warmly recalls that as phenomenal as these two were as actors, they were even more phenomenal as people. In this interview, Brett shares those memories, the extraordinary dedication of the entire Freedom’s Path cast and crew, and the many seemingly-insurmountable hurdles they crossed over to create this passionate project.
After the interview, Brett told me that the Freedom’s Path production team has decided to donate all proceeds from the film’s opening weekend to support underrepresented historic black colleges and universities. The major inspiration for the decision came from Byron Allen. His Allen Media Group has formed a HBCU GO promotional partnership with this award-winning film.