Creator + Director Note

The Distinguished is the genesis of my vision, a universe imagined that’s sure to affirm the
existential power, influence, and richness of Black culture in an ordinary world. This work
immortalizes the timeless nuances and magical prowess we harness. My grandmother would
tell me, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” and “Dare to be brave.” In honoring her,
how could I not dare to dream big and flamboyantly!

The Distinguished is dazzling and audacious. A visual representation of our cultural impact. It
introduces the rudiments of HBCU heritage in a world where magic exists. Not to mention
fashion, ancestral languages, rituals, and beliefs rooted in the Renaissance of Black people.

We experience Sevyn in a vulnerable place. A time when his world isn’t making sense
and he’s trying to figure out his purpose and place in the world... the collective theme of our
inner child experience.

This film serves as a reminder of the magic that one possesses when one dares to be brave.
An extension of the complexities we battle when we don’t know our strength. It provokes deep
thoughts about who we are and what we can be once we discover our magic, our power.

Furthermore, it’s an exploration of finding identity through the lens of imaginative realness,
pulling on the conscience that our answers lie within our dreams.

The theatrical introduction of The Distinguished is a sentimental work of art that challenges the
layers of the human experience; what it means to be different, other, when you feel as though
YOU don’t belong.

                     - R. D. Castleberry