Wilson Morales, editor of BlackFilm.com, said that his mission is to promote films of color—both the talent in front of the camera and also behind it.
“Many times most of the major media outlets would rather focus on the ‘in’ films or talent, and I wanted to give some presence to those projects and talent who may not get that opportunity,” Morales told BlackEnterprise.com in a feature celebrating him as Black Blogger of the Month.
Morales arrived at BlackFilm.com in 1999, having previously worked for New York radio station WBAI (99.5 FM) doing movie reviews. The site’s owner, Val Moore, recruited Morales while in search of writers with knowledge of the inner workings of the film industry. Twelve years ago, BlackFilm.com was pioneering online journalism, earning exclusive interviews with actors and producers during a time when Internet media outlets were an afterthought.
In the interview, Morales addressed misconceptions of black moviegoers and their perceived lack of support for black cinema. “Let’s not forget how Tyler Perry shocked the industry when he first entered the business or when the box office experts predicted that Will Packer‘s Takers would take in a few million at the gate but made an unexpected $20 million in its opening weekend,” Morales said.
The black film industry is one that could always use more exposure, and Morales has made that his mission for more than a decade. For aspiring black film journalists, Morales offered: “Start by watching as many films as possible that have black talent in front or behind the camera. That way, when writing any article, they have some knowledge of the material. Knowledge in this industry is very key. Their own opinion will weigh heavily because people will know that they have an
