Black Film Space is proud to serve as the fiscal sponsor for the short film When They're Gone.

Black Film Space's fiscal sponsorship program allows for members to use its 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt status to receive tax-deductible donations on the film's behalf and solicit charitable contributions throughout the production process.

When They're Gone has been chosen after careful evaluation from our board, and we believe it supports our mission to provide career advancing opportunities for Black filmmakers.

DONATION TIERS

ALL DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX-DEDUCTIBLE

ABOUT THE PROJECT

PROJECT TYPE: Short Film
GENRE: Drama
PROJECT STATUS: Pre-Production
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Glynn Turman
DIRECTOR: Ragan Henderson
DIRECTOR/WRITER: LaurynDarden

PRODUCER: Gabriyèl Barlatier

CO-PRODUCER: Elizabeth Kurtz

LOGLINE: After an abrupt encounter at a graveyard, two elderly men form an unexpected bond over the grief and love of their late wives.

TEAM

GLYNN TURMAN, (Executive Producer)

Glynn Turman is attached to play Calvin “Cece” Carr and serve as Executive Producer.

Glynn began his career on Broadway at just 13, starring alongside Sidney Poitier in A Raisin in the Sun (1959). He is best known for his roles in Cooley High (1975), The River Niger (1976), Gremlins (1984), A Different World (1988–1993), The Wire (2004–2008), In Treatment (2008), Queen Sugar (2016–2022), How to Get Away with Murder (2019–2020), Fargo (2020), Bumblebee (2018), and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020).

A Primetime Emmy winner, Turman is also a seasoned director and producer, having helmed episodes of A Different World, The Wayans Bros., and The Parent ‘Hood. Witha career spanning over six decades, he brings an unparalleled legacy to our film.

LAWRENCE-HILTON JACOBS - ( RICKY )

Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, beloved Roots actor, is attached to play Richard “Ricky” Fowler.

Lawrence is best known for his role in the ABC comedy series Welcome Back, Kotter and his acclaimed portrayal of Joe Jackson in the mini-series The Jacksons: An American Dream. His film credits include starring roles in Claudine, Cooley High, Youngblood, and L.A. Heat. Hilton-Jacobs has had extensive TV appearances on shows such as Roots, Fame, Moesha, The Jamie Foxx Show, and The Gilmore Girls, among others. A three-time NAACP Image Award nominee, he won the Best Actor award for The Mighty Gents and has received multiple accolades, including TV Land Icon Awards and Long Island Film Festival Best Actor Awards. In addition to acting, he has written and directed numerous films and TV projects, including Angels of the City and L.A. Heat - The Series. He is currently starring, directing, and producing in projects like A House Divided and its spin-off Jupiter Jones.

RAGAN HENDERSON, (Director)

Ragan Henderson is a New York-born creative, specializing in directing and image making. She is fueled by telling stories that humanize those deemed stoically inhuman in society, as a form of knowledge for herself and anyone who consumes her art. Her photographic and directorial work has been showcased at the MET Museum, on billboards across New York, Los Angeles, London, and Australia, and throughout publications including Vogue,Variety, GQ, Forbes, Rolling Stone. Additionally, she has shot for Nike, Gucci, Coca Cola, and Vera Wang, and more. Ragan earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

LAURYN DARDEN, (Director + Writer)

Lauryn Darden is a screenwriter-director committed to telling stories that help expand people’s understanding of diverse Black narratives and experiences. Much of her work centers the perspectives of older Black people - a perspective that is woefully underrepresented in film Darden graduated in 2022 fromNew York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a focus in dramatic writing. Her feature screenplay The Later Years, a coming-of-age film that follows an elderly Black woman after she leaves her husband of 40 years has won the National Black Film Festival for Best Original Script, Best Undergraduate Screenplay at the Fusion Film Festival, and was a Quarter Finalist for Final Draft’s Big Break Competition. Every story Darden writes and directs is created with an intention to provide a safe entertainment haven for Black people to feel seen, heard, and comforted through honest, gracious, and nuanced storytelling.

GABRIYEL BARLATIER, ( Producer)

Gabriyèl Barlatier is a Haitian-American producer and filmmaker deeply draw to honest, resonant stories. Determined to rid the world (or at least her inner circle) of the recycled narratives often overplayed, she began producing in search of more voices to champion. Inspired by André Bazin’s belief that “cinema has not yet been invented,” due to the lack of representation, Gabriyèl is committed to creating space for stories historically sidelined. Her work includes executive-producing Konpa (Tribeca 2023, Miami Film Festival Winner 2024, New Orleans Film Festival Audience Award Winner 2023) Fou, (New Faces New Voices Winner 2022). As of late, she’s honored to have associate-produced Luther: Never Too Much (Sundance 2024, Tribeca 2024, NAACP Image Award Nominee 2025), which is currently in theaters nationwide.

ELIZABETH KURTZ, (Producer)

Elizabeth Kurtz is an independent producer with her shorts being official selections at New York Shorts International, Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, IndieShort Fest, Big Apple Film Festival, Boston Asian American Film Festival, and more. She holds a BFA from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in Dramatic Writing and a minor in producing through Stern School of Business. She’s worked for studios like HBO Max, AppleTV+, Annapurna, and Amazon Studios. Her last produced short was with NAACP Image Award nominee Camryn Garrett.

When They're Gone

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