Meet Dr. Adrienne Whaley | Executive & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Adrienne Whaley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Adrienne, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
For me, what precipitated the decision to found an arts, culture and entertainment organization was to provide a platform for all types of creatives. I believe that by filling an existing gap and being inclusive of all genres, ages and ethnicities and offering the opportunity to also connect with each other -has a lot to do with our brand growth and reputation.

What should our readers know about your business?
As a business owner, the stage of my ‘success’ that I’m experiencing now has a lot to do with the fact that I’m not afraid of failing. Robert McMath authored the book, “What Were They Thinking” which I read in college for a paper. McMath explains many business-related mistakes are repeated because Presidents, staff, etc. are too afraid to share their mistakes. I realized early on that when you don’t have experience, mentors or know anyone that’s ever done what you’re doing – you are going to make mistakes.  Once you figure it out and/or how to do it better – it can flip into a ‘gift’.  As an artist, we’re always experimenting and those experimentations yield mistakes until you achieve what you’re going for. I believe that it applies to both life and business. In business, mistakes have yielded ‘uniqueness’ and provides support to dare to try something new.

And when the ‘brave’ one shares mistakes, others begin to open up and share honestly -which helps everyone. While none of it is easy, and some mistakes can be costly, it’s part of the process.  Each persons ‘learning’ path is different. This needs to be understood, while there are similarities, each individual will also have to learn and experience certain things on their own and we can’t let fear prevent us from reaching our destinies.

I’d like for the world to know that it’s ok to be different, to have a specific vision in your heart and mind and to move towards that. It’s necessary to take some risks, to surround yourself with ‘like and kind’ and to ignore the negativity. Be thoughtful, professional and self-reflective at all times; apologize and fix it quick, even if it costs you a little money and humility. Always think long-term.\

Primarily as a Film Festival we receive submissions from around the world for our February/April Red Carpet Black History Film Festival and for our October Halloween Film Fest and Costume Party.  Both are great events which offer Filmmakers the opportunity to have their Movie Shorts, Full Features, Series Episodes, Music, Poetry and Dance Videos screened by a live audience.  In April, we also give out Community Excellence Awards to individuals or organizations to acknowledge their exemplary efforts. We also include local home-based businesses as Vendors and Talk Show Hosts as the Red Carpet Hosts.  We’re thrilled to see many of the same Filmmakers and Guests each Season. Now heading into Season 16, we’re up to 26 Countries for the Black History Film Festival.Next year we hope to go Live for the Red Carpet Interviews as well as the Awards presentations. Especially since Filmmakers attend from around the Country, going Live will help them increase their fan base.

As of this Summer, we’re now officially Film Distributors and very excited that we can offer our Filmmakers the next step with both Non-Exclusive and Exclusive contracts with a variety of Streaming Platforms.

Our Poetry Showcases, Murder Mystery Dinners and Wearable Arts Fashion Shows are growing segments of our business model and we’re planning a few unique twists on these events as well.

For us, again, it’s about filling gaps and offering more support to our multi-talented creatives and offering guests uniquely fun and memorable events where they see and learn new things.  As we’ve been told, the Networking alone is worth attending!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Most people love Manhattan, but I prefer Queens and Long Island.  Long Island City has a lot to offer and somewhat reminds me of the village. Plenty of restaurants and converted factories.  Long Beach in Long Island has a similar flavor as does Nautical Mile in Freeport, LI, NY. Both are great places to go during the Spring and Summer months.

Our Red Carpet Film Festivals, Poetry Showcases, Murder Mystery Dinners, Pop-Ups and Fashion Shows all bring out the most interesting, creative, warm people and many return year-after-year from both in as well as out of state. These are all great places to hang out with friends and family.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am eternally grateful to both of my parents for allowing me to explore all of my creative interests and supporting all of my artistic endeavors (whether they understood or agreed – they were always there). Two off-Broadway plays that my mother took us to see has a lot to do with my love of the arts: “The Me Nobody Knows’ and “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope”. To have seen so much talent on the stage as a young child still inspires me. Nikki Giovanni’s “Cotton Candy On A Rainy Day” and Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” also helped me to see that there are those who have a vision that few will understand until it’s fully materialized and that’s ok. These days, it’s my son and two best friends, Doris and Gina who deserve a lot of credit and recognition for supporting me as we grow our organization.

Website: https://www.queensundergroundfilmfestival.com

Instagram: @queens_underground_film_fest

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-adrienne-whaley-8b1707a7/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adriennewhaley58

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@queensundergroundblackandb7328

Image Credits
Adrienne Whaley Gail Dobbins