Award-winning, writer-director-filmmaker, Nnegest Likké (’91) returned to her alma mater, Clark Atlanta University (CAU), to screen her latest film, Everything But A Man during Homecoming week. The FREE screening is open to students and the public on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 3pm in the Henderson Student Center.
“I majored in film at CAU, so my heart is there,” says Likké. “I’m screening my film as an honor and tribute to my alma mater. My hope is that my Hollywood journey will inspire students to follow their dreams,” adds the Oakland native.
Likké’s first feature film was Fox Searchlight’s Phat Girlz starring Academy Award Winner, Mo’Nique. Likké reflects, “I’ve grown tremendously since that film, but the greatest lesson was not the technical. It was that the industry is an ever evolving machine and you must stay current to survive.”
Likké’s new film, Everything But A Man, which stars Monica Calhoun (The Best Man/Holiday) and Jimmy Jean-Louis (TNT’s Claws, NBC Heroes, Phat Girlz) is a sexy, socially-relevant, laugh-out-loud, multi-genre movie that explores love, self-discovery and women’s empowerment from a bold, unconventional and thought-provoking perspective. The story follows a successful career woman who strikes up an unlikely romance with a mysterious, French-speaking foreigner whose lifestyles differences challenge everything she believes about love and her identity as a self-declared “strong” woman. Likké, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., says her inspiration in making the movie was the large amount of single-successful, yet lonely women, and also her respect and admiration for working class African-American men who the film’s message pays tribute to.
During her time at CAU, Likké studied under longtime film professor Dr. Eichelberger, who also taught Award Winning Filmmaker Spike Lee. “Clark Atlanta is where I learned the basics of filmmaking and networking,” Likké reflects. “I’m forever indebted to CAU.”
Likké, a former high school English and drama teacher, enjoys mentoring students. “This is an opportune time in history for young, aspiring filmmakers, because the playing field is more level than before.” As a Black woman in Hollywood, Likké has overcome many challenges. “I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. But those who stay and persevere, succeed.”
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