Talent management and production company Fusion Entertainment has signed writer-director Ryan DeForeest and started development on a feature adaptation of his short film “My Brother & Me,” Variety can reveal exclusively.
“My Brother & Me,” which premiered at the 2024 American Black Film Festival, follows “two brothers across three decades, from South Los Angeles to Oakland, as they grow up under their father, Allen. Malik, the older one, takes the brunt of Allen’s violence. Terrence, who is gay, grows up feeling invisible to him. As they become men, the only thing they’ve ever really had is each other, and even that isn’t guaranteed,” reads the official description. Zechariah Eubanks and Alexander Bello starred as Malik and Terrence, respectively.
“Ryan is a rare new voice whose filmmaking belongs right alongside our roster of distinctive auteurs with an unmistakable point of view,” said Chris Evans, co-founder of Fusion Entertainment. “This story speaks to the experience of Black fatherhood, masculinity, queerness, and the complicated, tender dynamics of brotherhood.”
“My Brother & Me” has since screened at Micheaux Film Festival, the Oak Park Black Film Festival and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles. It earned a nomination for outstanding short form (live action) at the 56th NAACP Image Awards, along with two 2026 Best of NFMLA Awards nominations for best short film (drama) and best cinematography.
“‘My Brother & Me’ started as a personal story made with some of my favorite people in the world,” said DeForeest. “Seeing the journey this short has taken and having the opportunity to expand it into my first feature is something I never could have imagined. I’m incredibly grateful to Chris and Adam for believing in the potential of this film and the many other stories I hope to tell. I’m so stoked to begin this next chapter with them and continue creating work that reflects the complexity and vulnerability of the communities I hold dear.”
Evans and Adam Kersh will produce for Fusion, alongside Lexx Truss, who produced “My Brother & Me” with Shandrea Evans. Returning from the short are cinematographer Sade Ndya and composer Evan Wright. The feature is currently in development. Casting and an updated title will be revealed at a future date.