PRESS RELEASE: Dark & Divine Presents a Charlotte-based Open-Source Film Project That Lets Filmmakers Shoot a Live Stage Series, and Keep Their Films
Photography by Wild Recluse
Charlotte creative Dasia Hood opens her post-apocalyptic drama to filmmakers of all levels, providing the set, cast, and venue at no cost in a modern take on the stage-to-screen model Tyler Perry pioneered.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — [July 21, 2026] — Dark & Divine®, the production banner of writer Dasia Hood, today announced Machetes & Melanin, a six-episode post-apocalyptic series that doubles as an open-source film studio. During live performances, filmmakers who sign up for limited access may film the production from any point of view in the performance space, in their own style, with their own vision, and retain full rights to the films they create, to share or keep as they choose. Participation for selected filmmakers is free.
The production provides what independent filmmakers struggle hardest to secure: a fully realized set, a professional cast, and a venue. With planning and production burdens lifted, participating filmmakers, from film students to seasoned directors, can devote themselves entirely to challenging their artistry. One live production becomes many films, each shaped by a different creative eye.
The model draws inspiration from Tyler Perry’s early career, when he filmed his stage plays, including the beloved Madea productions, and brought them directly to audiences through tickets and DVDs, building an empire outside the traditional studio system. Machetes & Melanin updates that blueprint for a new generation: instead of one camera and one distributor, an open call and many.
The pivot was born of necessity. “We followed the traditional film production model, and the traditional model asked us to wait for financing, for permission,” said Hood. “The fundraising expectations for a film project delayed this story too long. So I had to get creative. We’re putting the world-building on a stage, opening the doors, and letting filmmakers do what they do best. The story gets made, the artists get a real opportunity, and the audience gets to watch it happen live and later on film.”
Machetes & Melanin follows Oyin, a survivor in a world of ecological collapse who discovers the last pocket of living soil on Earth and must decide whether to guard it or let love in. Performed live against a full-width filmed backdrop, the female-led series confronts questions of legacy, motherhood, power, and what we owe the future. The screenplay is written by Dasia Hood and produced by DH MEC LLC.
SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC EVENTS
December 2026 — Public screen readings and live storytelling discussions with the producer and cast members
February 2027 — Open-source filming: Episodes 1 & 2, “The Heart” and “Faith”
March 2027 — Open-source filming: Episodes 3 & 4, “Fear” and “Mother”
April 2027 — Open-source filming: Episodes 5 & 6, “Evolution” and “Purity”
Filmmakers may apply for limited filming access, and audiences may purchase tickets at dasiahood.com starting December 2026. Email subscribers will receive first access. Every ticket includes the performance, a post-show talkback, and a talent meet-and-greet. Filming slots are limited per performance and granted by application. Audiences can expect an immersive experience that is engaging, exciting, and entertaining.
ABOUT DARK & DIVINE
Dark & Divine® is the multidisciplinary art experience of Charlotte-based artist, curator, and writer Dasia Hood, produced under DH MEC LLC. Machetes & Melanin is a portion of the current Dark & Divine® art series, EAT MY FLESH, an exploration of the cacao industry as a metaphor for the consumption of Black bodies in labor, love, and life. Dark & Divine moves across photography, poetry, performance, taste, and now film to confront what the world takes from Black bodies, and to reclaim it as art. Hood’s work has been presented at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, McColl Center, and featured in Queen City Nerve and Charlotte Observer.
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