One Night In LA

I'm a Filmmaker, Playwright, Essayist, and Author. I have a B.A (UCLA) and an MFA in Creative Writing. I was a Distinguished Dean's Playwriting Fellow at the University of California while earning an MFA in Creative Writing and Creative Writing for the Performing Arts. I've written novels (I did my first book signing with Eric Jerome Dickey), inspirational books, and I've written, directed, and produced several plays, offered to packed theaters that received standing ovations. My essays have been published in LA Times, Christian Science Monitor, Huffpost, and Thrive Global. I've shared my SHOUT (Shine & Surrender, Hope, Overcome, Use Your Power & Take Charge) at corporations, private parties, schools, government agencies, homeless shelters, transitional homes and more. 

More, importantly, I'm a Mom of three amazing young men, who have ALWAYS been honor students and who are thriving in their careers in Los Angeles. My oldest son is autistic, and he thrives as well. The Kelly men knew that daddy and I didn't play around:). Finally, there are
 Tip and Blue, our Pekinese/Shitzu doggies, who are little but mighty and in charge. 

This is an invitation to join the One Night In LA Film Campaign and Family.  It's a niche, indie movie, filled with music and dance. It's inspired by two scripts that I wrote that were finalists in prestigious contests: A top 10, semifinalist out of 200 scripts in UCLA Film School's Samuel Goldwyn Contest and a quarterfinalist out of 7600 scripts in the Academy’s Nicholl’s contests. You can learn more about me and watch trailers of three short films, I wrote, directed, and produced, and three plays that I wrote, directed, and produced by clicking the pictures at https://www.elevatedstories.me/stories

Trailers of two of the short films that I wrote, directed, and produced that were selected for notable film festivals are below. I love this family and God gave them to me share a story about LOVE, PURPOSE, FAMILY & RESILIENCE!  New actors are joining the cast in One Night In LA!

Trailer of Short Film #1 that inspired One Night In LA

Trailer of Short Film # 2 that inspired One Night In LA

The logline of One Night In LA.

 

The return of cancer and fear of death, force a stressed out, people-pleasing Mom and Professor to question what really matters in life and challenge the values of her NBA Executive husband. The question is will the music, dance, art, literature, and four artifacts that she examines inspire her to carry on? www.elevatedstories.me/one-night-in-la

 

It's inspired by my own story: The question that I asked my Mommy when we learned that she had breast cancer: "
What will make you happy and healthy, Mommy?" I asked.

I was 12 years old and scared to death that I would lose her. Don't ask me how, but I, intuitively, knew that in order for her to survive, she needed to be happy; So, I became her “Happy Good Luck” charm.

 

In One Night In LA, the main character, an over-worked, people pleasing Mom and Professor, married to an NBA Executive, answers that same question: What will make her happy and inspired to keep living after she learns that her cancer has returned? It's filled with music and dance.

 

Please watch a video where I talk about the project (it was formerly called Reading the Signs) and includes clips of a Zoom reading that we had. I've lost 40 pounds, getting into my filming, let's be fit, weight:).!

 

 

 

I have an amazing team supporting me. Mayon Denton and Rashida Turner, two producers who believe in my stories and have stood by me on this crooked, long journey. They are the reason that Do Not Stop is engraved on the One Night In LA script. I’m so grateful for them. Their pictures and bios are below.

 

 

We will film ONILA in February in one location with multiple cameras. The set will sway with music, dance, and good vibes. It is divinely inspired and a needed project for a time such as this. We all need to ask ourselves, "What will make us happy.  What will make us our best," as we go into 2022 and change our world for the better.

 

 

 

I'm a LA Gal who has been married to my UCLA college sweetheart, a former UCLA Basketball Player, for a very long time. I have a B.A (UCLA) and an MFA in Creative Writing.  I said this already didn't I, haha. But I'll repeat again. I was a Distinguished Dean's Playwriting Fellow at the University of California while earning my MFA in Creative Writing and Creative Writing for the Performing Arts. I returned to graduate school late in life after raising three sons and guiding my autistic son, so it's special to me. I've written novels, inspirational books, and written, directed, and produced several plays, offered to packed theaters. My essays have been published in LA Times, Christian Science Monitor, Huffpost, and Thrive Global.

 

My story of driving my Mom to LA defines who I am. At age 16, I drove my Mom from the Bay Area, where she was a Rockefella Fellow, studying under the Superintendents there, to LA. I drove her brand new Cadillac down the 5 Freeway in the middle of a cold, pitch dark, foggy December night, sunroof top, leaning to the side with a gansta lean. LOL! 

 

It was a long drive and I was scared as heck. And once when I panicked and pulled off to the side of the road, she screamed, “Do Not Stop.” By this time, I was crying crocodile tears, sitting in the middle of know where in the middle of the night. She had to get to LA. We were on our way to a press conference where I would stand beside her as she was announced as the first woman, the youngest, and the first Black Superintendent of a local school district in Los Angeles.

Later in life, I learned that DO NOT STOP was her mantra in life. In my 40s, I, finally, understood that it should be mine also. Obstacles are always present. It's just the way of the world. No cause for alarm. Keep Pushing. Keep Driving. Keep Doing You! Do Not Stop! Do a dog gone Go Fund Me. I have jokes.

 

My Mom never stopped!  She didn't stop after being born poor in a shack, shack that sat on the red dirt f Georgia. She didn't stop when she was diagnosed with tuberculosis as a teenager and had to live in a sanitorium.  She didn't stop when she was diagnosed with aggressive cancer the first time. She didn't stop when it returned time and time again. Dr. Georgia Mae, my mommy, just didn't stop! She battled cancer for 34 years and rose to the top of her profession. I started writing in her home in London, where she was Director of Military Schools for the Department of Defense. You can read the full story here: elevatedstories.me/about

 

And although my creative journey has been tough and the roads have been dark, foggy, and bumpy as heck, I have not stopped. I will not stop until One Night In LA, an indie with music and dance, is made!

 

 

 

 

 

He's an LA Guy:)  After graduating from UCLA, Mayon started his own production company. The company has produced music videos, commercials, documentaries, TV pilots, and feature films. Mayon’s first feature film entitled “Against the Grain,” is a coming of age film that focuses on a young man striving to achieve his dream of becoming a Dr. against all odds. The film was sold and distributed through Filmworks Entertainment and is available on Amazon Prime, Netflix, and iTunes.

 

Mayon went on to produce several other feature films titled, Fingerprints, In Neon Lights, Questions, Distortion, and Sensitivity Training. Sensitivity Training premiered at the LA Film Festival in 2016 and is currently for purchase on Amazon Prime and iTunes.

 

Mayon has also produced T.V. pilots and award winning short films. In 2017 Mayon executive produced a T.V. pilot entitled How to Succeed at Birth, which played on Direct T.V., as well as a short film titled “Lil Tokyo Reporter.” The latter is a 1935 period piece about a Japanese American activist and can be purchased on Amazon Prime. Mayon is currently attached to produce three feature films, Wedding Dreams, Wait a Minute Mr. Postman, and Why Fight. One of Mayon’s recent noteworthy projects titled Surviving was nominated for a Gotham award in 2016. In 2019 Mayon produced the T.V. pilot titled Second Team that had its world debut at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and is currently making its rounds on the film festival circuit, as well as being shopped around to network TV.

 

Mayon has also produced commercials and projects for fortune 500 companies, networks and studios including Paramount, Sony, Fox, FS1, Motown, BOSCH, Interscope Records, Universal Music Group, and Vibe.

 

 

 

 

Michele Rashida Turner originally a Director/Producer of six Theatrical productions which opened to critical acclaim in LA, has produced over 8 shorts and one Narrative Feature Film Lord Help Us made for under $150,000. The film starred Academy Award Nominee, Margaret Avery. She has also worked as a Producer on a Documentary Feature Film VOICES about the first Bahamian settlement in Coconut Grove, FL. She was invited by Jeffrey Poitier, nephew of Sidney Poitier to be a Producer on the project. It showed for a week run at AMC Theater in Miami, FL.

 

Michele is completing post - production on a documentary Special Indeed, that she Line Produced and Produced, about differently-abled athletes and their road to the Special Olympics. Michele’s current projects as Producer are in various stages of Development including a Feature Film Dramedy entitled One Night in LA written by Meme Kelly and produced by Mayon Denton. Her latest project is a Feature film written by Ayana Maharry of Shimershine Productions called NOW, a tennis story, that is being filmed on location one week after the US Open this summer.

 

 

We're ready to go, after 104 weeks in pre-production, that's two year's, y'all. We Are Ready! We've looked at One Night In LA from every angle possible,  and all we need is your support. The funds raised will be used for production cost, a fundraising expert to come on board, as we begin the nuts and bolts of the shoot:  securing a location, hiring crew, finalizing cast, camera and equipment rentals, a set designer cost, and more. The company that I'm hiring wants us to push the film date out but it will but MeMe is still shooting for February or soon thereafter.

 

 

The One Night In LA Team & MeMe Kelly  are grateful for every donation made here in Phase One of the Campaign.  We still need Ambassadors and Donations. We look forward to offering a beautiful movie in 2022 that will inspire women, celebrate resilience,  amplify the importance of family & friendship, and encourage cancer survivors.  It has been a joy sharing about One Night In LA.  Donations are still being accepted here.

A Fundraising Expert/Company is being hired for the final phase. Donations may still be made here or at :

https://www.elevatedstories.me/one-night-in-la

 


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