Gen Z Filmmaker Givan Onuaguluchi-May Is Expanding the Frame for Black Stories
With SPACE and his feature project LIFE INSURANCE, the young filmmaker is pushing for Black characters to exist across romance, horror, comedy and everything in between.
Photos courtesy of Givan Onuaguluchi-May
For Gen Z filmmaker Givan Onuaguluchi-May, representation means more than increasing the number of Black faces on screen. He wants Black characters, and people of color more broadly, to appear across the full range of film genres, from romantic comedies and slashers to coming-of-age stories and films centered on ordinary life, pleasure and imagination.
The Chicago-based actor, writer and director has worked across film, theatre, poetry and screenwriting for the past five years, and is building an increasingly visible body of work through Navigate Pictures, beginning with the 2024 horror short LIFE INSURANCE, which he co-directed, wrote, produced and starred in.
The film follows a young woman whose quiet afternoon is interrupted by two life-insurance salesmen who refuse to leave, turning an ordinary doorstep encounter into something more sinister. It later screened at Cleveland’s Indie Gathering Film Festival.
His next project, SPACE, a short film he is preparing to bring to theaters around the country, received a major wave of support after a promotional video drew 1.1 million likes and helped raise $15,000 in 24 hours. Written and directed by Onuaguluchi-May, the film centers Black love and intimacy while expanding the kinds of stories Black audiences are invited to see on screen.
The planned theatrical run will also feature short films by other Black and POC filmmakers, using the momentum around SPACE to create a wider platform for emerging voices. At the same time, Onuaguluchi-May is developing LIFE INSURANCE into a feature, with ambitions to bring the project to theaters.
We caught up with Onuaguluchi-May to learn more about the stories he wants to tell, the community behind SPACE and why true representation has to include creative freedom.
Hi Givan! Welcome. Introduce yourself and let us know a little bit about who you are and what you create.
Givan Onuaguluchi-May: My name is Givan Onuaguluchi-May, an actor, writer and director based in Chicago, IL.
As cliché as it sounds, I truly do create stories. Whether it’s in film, theatre, poetry, or screenwriting, my main goal is to express the narrative that exists in my brain. And hopefully, other people connect with that narrative!
What are the different ways you show up creatively in the world and for work? How did you arrive at this stage of your career?
GOM: That’s a tough one! My tried and true answer is that I have been acting and creating “professionally” for five years now. But the truth is that I’ve been creating my whole life.
When I was about 7, I wrote musicals with my Mom and performed them at our church. And because I had the best memory, I got all the lead roles.
From then on, I had an immense need to make art in any capacity. There’s quite a few embarrassing Youtube videos that serve as evidence of that.
Can you talk about the differences to how you show up as an actor, writer & director,? How do these different pieces feed into your creative identity?
GOM: Truthfully, it all blends into one. When I’m acting, I put myself in the shoes of the character, and let the words flow out of me. In writing, I do the same thing.
While directing, those words just happen to flow out of someone else. It's just different expressions of my imagination. Except producing. Now that’s hard.
What inspires you? (other artists/film/music… anything!)
GOM: Oh, gosh. We could be here awhile. I’ll try to stick to the highlights. To name some artists: Jordan Peele, Ryan Coogler, Greta Gerwig, Tyler the Creator, Dominic Fike, The Happy Fits, Jon Bellion, Rick Riordan.
All of them craft beautifully intricate worlds that bring you into their minds. Outside of artists and art, life. Friends, family, people you meet on the street. Libraries, parks, museums. Life is more vibrant than art could ever be. That’s what makes it so enticing to capture.
As a young Black creative in film, what stories have been important for you to tell, and what stories do you feel are important to bring to the forefront that haven’t been created yet?
GOM: All of them. Full stop. I think that true representation arrives when we see black people in every narrative, without prejudice. Not only just black people, but all people of color.
Stories do need to be told about the struggle and atrocities black people and other marginalized communities have gone through.
But, I also want to see a black rom-com with none of those narratives. A dumb 80s slasher. A heartwarming coming-of-age. Every story. Because we exist within all of them.
HM: What project are you most proud of that you’ve worked on so far?
GOM: Cuttlefish. It’ll be surprising to some, as it's not one of my own films. But the experience both on and off the set of Cuttlefish was incredible. It was about 20 of us in the same house for 2 weeks. Filming day and night, hanging out in between.
As someone who never went to summer camp, I can only assume that's what it’s like. I cannot wait for the premiere of that film. Not only to watch it, but for all of us to be reunited.
What’s the intention behind how your work is received by those who see it? What is your hope that people feel or think about when they see your work?
GOM: I truly don't consider it. It sounds conceited, but everything I make is made for me. It's a story I saw in my head, and put to paper. Sometimes what's on that paper makes it to the screen. And once that idea is in other’s minds, it's not mine anymore. If anything, I hope they have a good time.
What feels most important to you right now, and as a community member?
GOM: Community! A video I made about my short film SPACE got 1.1m likes. MILLION. We raised $15,000 in 24 hours. Our goal was $3,000.
I feel strongly that when a community comes together, magic happens. Every single time. Right now, my focus is giving back to the community that lifted me up.
What’s next for you, Givan?
GOM: We want to put SPACE in theaters across the U.S. Not only that, but we will be bringing short films from other black and POC filmmakers to show before the film. I want to use this platform I’ve gained to uplift those around me. We’re creating a website so people from each state can show their interest in seeing SPACE in theaters!
Outside of SPACE, I am in development of my first feature film, LIFE INSURANCE. My dream for that project is to work with Blumhouse. The plan is to make and release it in theaters, no matter what happens.
And finally, to keep growing and learning as an actor. It's my main passion, and I intend to turn it into my main job.
