“Cocoa Love” is an
award winning short film that has competed in over 10 film festivals across the
country and has aired nationally on television networks BET, Centric and ASPiRE
on shows such as “Lens on Talent” and “ABFF Independent.” The film is a romantic
comedy about a young couple whose relationship is tested after the death of
their beloved dog Cocoa.
Bland, Titusville native, is a
graduate of the FAMU School of Business and Industry. While a
student, the multi-talented filmmaker wrote and directed his first feature
film, “Dreaming in Color.”
“One of the first
pieces of advice I received when I was just an aspiring filmmaker was from
(director and FAMU alumnus) Rob Hardy,” he said. “I told him I wanted to make
films and he told me to pick up a camera and shoot something.”
Following
graduation, Bland moved to Los Angeles, Calif. and received his first big
studio opportunity working as an intern for producer and FAMU alumnus Will
Packer on the movie, “Takers.” Finding a home at Sony Screen Gems, Bland
continued to work on the production side of films, such as “Death at a
Funeral,” Priest” and “Burlesque.”
Currently, Bland
serves as co-president of Hometeam Entertainment. The first project to be
released under the Hometeam banner is the web series, “FAIL,” where Bland acts
and serves as one of the executive producers. He is also producing the
multi-media episodic series “The Hypnotist,” a psychological thriller about a woman in Los Angeles who performs the ancient art
of African hypnosis allowing her to enter the subconscious minds of her
subjects.
Vote for Cocoa Love here.