Damon Dash has always been an advocate for Black entrepreneurship. To further demonstrate this, the hip hop pioneer and independent business tycoon’s Dame Dash Studios is partnering with Homestead Entertainment, a Black-owned film distribution company, to provide independent filmmakers of color a pipeline from concept to market.
“Homestead’s industry expertise along with its breadth of resources offers us an unparalleled opportunity to expand our reach and further our mission of identifying, producing, and now distributing authentic content from often-overlooked content creators,” Dash said in a statement to Deadline.
Dame Dash Studios will primarily focus on talent development, content acquisition, production, and the utilization of its strong brand identity to expand content on a wide spectrum. Homestead Entertainment will then market the resulting content to its distribution network for exhibition. The new partnership opens the floodgates of opportunity for content creators of color who have found it challenging to get in front of Hollywood’s major studios and production companies.
“Dame Dash is a legend in the entertainment business. He has an incredible track record of finding and cultivating talent who have become household names, including Kanye West, Kevin Hart, and Lee Daniels,” said Sean Armstrong, Homestead Entertainment’s co-founder and lead of Filmmaker Relations and Operations. “Our partnership will allow us to further amplify diverse voices. We are looking forward to working with him and his team in acquiring, creating, and distributing great films.”
Before it was a trend for hip hop, Damon Dash was building his credentials in television and film. The former Roc-A-Fella Records owner directed the underground hip hop classic Paper Soldiers in 2002, giving comedian Kevin Hart a serious look in the entertainment industry. Over the years, he would go on to produce over 30 projects, including State Property, Paid In Full, and Growing Up Hip Hop.
For over two decades, Homestead Entertainment has worked to democratize the filmmaking and distribution business by providing alternatives for overlooked filmmakers to monetize their work. The indie company is led by film acquisition executive Rob Johnson, sales and business development head Leonard Burnett, Jr., and Armstrong.
