Alum's short film debuts on BET

"Cocoa Love," a short film written and directed by Florida A&M University alumnus and former Student Body Vice-President James Bland, aired on the season finale of Black Entertainment Television's (BET) “Lens on Talent.”

The film is a romantic comedy short about a young couple whose relationship is tested when a funeral for a dog turns into a misadventure of mayhem when a series of secrets and surprises are revealed. Hilarious and heartwarming, the film has a surprising amount of twists for a short piece. It recently won BEST COMEDY at the Urban Mediamakers Film Festival in Atlanta and was an official selection at the Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival in Norfolk, Virginia.

Bland is a 2008 graduate of the School of Business and Industry. He wrote, directed and produced his first feature film "Dreaming in Color" during his senior year on the Hill. He shot the film on FAMU's campus and the movie stars FAMU students. Upon graduating, Bland took a leap of faith to by moving to Los Angeles and received his first industry opportunity working as an intern to FAMU alumnus and super-producer Will Packer on the movie "Takers." "Cocoa Love" is his first short film.

“The process of making this film was both a joyous and laborious process,” said Bland. “Luckily, I had a great team of individuals who brought passion, experience and most importantly production value to this project.”

As a young filmmaker, Bland set out to make a funny film with fresh talent and an enthusiastic crew. The results were magical.

“The cast had a natural chemistry and the crew operated as if they had been working together for years. The twelve plus hour days of filming never felt like work," Bland said. "I don't ever want this (filmmaking) to feel like work. When it does, maybe I'll find something new to chase.”

Until then, Bland will continue to tell visual stories and hopefully make people feel something along the way. He adds, "People never forget how you made them feel, and I don't think audiences will forget "Cocoa Love" anytime soon."