Summary

It’s been a big year forAsante Blackk.

His second,Aristotle Torres’Story Ave, is again a portrait of an artist.

The film previously premiered at SXSW and is now getting its wider release.

Asante Blackk as Kadir Grayson in Story Ave.

Image via Kino Lorber

What is your relationship to art?

What are you passionate about, and how did you bring that to these characters?

ASANTE BLACKK: Oh, yeah, that’s a great question.

A still from Story Ave.

Image via Kino Lorber

They are portrayals of what society is exactly like right now.

At the end of the day, all that’s trying to be pushed is the silencing of voices.

I know that there is a better world out there.

Asante Blackk as Kadir Grayson and Luis Guzmán as Luis Torres in Story Ave.

Image via Kino Lorber

And the way that Kadir hits back is by being himself and by creating his art.

You have to go out and search for it.

Those are the moments of true breakthrough.

Asante Blackk as Kadir Grayson and Luis Guzmán as Luis Torres in Story Ave.

Image via Kino Lorber

And those are the ways of advancing to a new day.

This was something that came across my desk by way of my team.

I thought that he had a very distinct style.

Luis Guzman

We really found a true connection in the passions that we share when it comes to art.

So, immediately I think that I knew that I wanted to be a part of the project.

That’s great to hear.

One of the big ones was Boaz Yakin.

And I think that power is in the details.

It’s not going to be as effective as it should be.

Everything has to serve a purpose.

And that was just so immediately clear to me from jump that this guy knew what he was doing.

It was obviously a short before it was this feature.

What was your relationship to the original short?

Oh man, can I just say master?

And underappreciated, at that.

His level of vulnerability is unmatched.

It rivals the greatest actors that have ever lived.

Luis never anticipates a moment, he lets the moment come to him.

You know, I gotta be honest, not many.

At least not that I had realized.

And I think that that’s what I mean when I say underappreciated.

What are you doing here?

Hell just pop up for, like, one or two scenes, buteverybodyknows him.

Oh yeah, we cookin.

Story Aveis now showing in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles.