Come With Me To The Tonesha Welch Story Premiere In DC!

Never take a movie premiere for granted. No matter how small. You never know who you’ll meet.

I don’t know what to do at this point. I’m still bound to the first editor that decided to leave the project. And there was another issue, she still had the physical hard drive containing all the footage that the third editor needed to begin the editing process. I didn’t want to take either copy of the footage that the director or DP had so, I decided to make a deal with the first editor which she agreed to, and the hard drive was shipped.

As soon as I sent the email to the first editor containing the details of my proposed deal, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Like that last 6-8 months of no progress was a distant memory for a few minutes. I mean, I could finally move on.

Then, something crazy happened. Literally, no lie, about an hour after I sent the email, I got another email inviting me to the DC movie premiere of The Tonesha Welch Story. (OMG!). Honestly, I thought I was long forgotten about since the production wrapped six months ago. Anyways, I was so excited. But then I saw the date. It was 5 days away. Seriously, 5 DAYS! And it was on the night of a weekday meaning I was going to have make haste to attend this event. (Come on!!).

After calming down, I went ahead and made a reservation for two people, one for me and another for the videographer whom I still hadn’t hired yet. (LOL. Hey, we’re manifesting here! And you know I’m going to record this experience). I knew Ihana wasn’t going to be available because she was part of the production too, and I assumed she was also going to be attending the premiere as well having a ball! So, I definitely didn’t want to disturb her. But I was determined not to let this experience slip away.

The next day, I went to work preparing myself for the premiere. First, my hair. The knotless braids I had in my hair were OLD and a complete mess. I texted my hair stylist asking if she was available the night before the premiere to do a quick touch up. (Yep, I had no money for a complete hair re-do). After some begging she agreed to squeeze me in at the last minute. Luv her!!! Next, nails. My nails were already in desperate need of a fill-in so I was so glad my go-to nail technician was available during my lunch hour the day of the event.

Third, outfit. I’d already purchased two brown dresses from Fashion Nova a while back. One was a long sleeve, carbon brown dress and the other was a spaghetti strap bodysuit. Since I figured we were going to be in a cold theatre and I’m still a bit self-conscious about my skin (yes, I do deal with dark marks), so it made sense to choose the long sleeve.

Now, it’s time to find a videographer. I begin scavenging through Instagram and sending out DM’s and emails to videographers in the area. In total I reached out to about six people and four of them were unavailable. One out of the remaining two was completely out of my price range. I end up negotiating with the other for only 1-hour of service.

Fast forward, it’s the day of the premiere. I’m nervous throughout the whole day because of course, yet again, I don’t know what to expect. I get done with my work for the day and calmly begin to get ready. I finish my makeup, put my hair in a simple bun and proceed to put on my outfit. And it was a complete disaster! Literally, I couldn’t figure out how to put the outfit on. It was no use. It was just too complicated and the body oil I had on had already made so many stains on it.

Now, I see why celebrities go through multiple dress rehearsals. It’s just that with the tightness of time, I never got a chance to do it. So, I had to go with the spaghetti strap body suit which fit perfectly but the leg length was too long. But I ignored it because there was no going back. I used my makeup foundation to cover up my body skin discolorations and then I was out the door.

I get to the theatre and of course, there’s no parking in DC except for expensive parking garages. After three or so turns at failed attempts of finding a parking space, I gave in and decided to park in a garage. I pay, park, and began hiking to the theatre in heels.

I finally get inside the theatre and follow the sound of the loud commotion to the top floor. I get a wristband and begin observing the room. There were people everywhere taking pictures on the red carpet, getting interviews etc. About thirty minutes later, the videographer arrives. She does a quick camera setup, and we get straight to work.

We went head on into the crowd to get as many photos and footage as possible. From those I remember working with on set (i.e., Akiba), to the CEO of the production company (i.e., Ceoazarel) and even the woman herself, Tonesha Welch! It was so much fun!

Before I knew it, the hour was up, and we had to go in and watch the movie which is also showing on BET+. And that was a wrap for the premiere. Check out some BTS photos and footage below.

Other posts you may be interested in:

• How I Prepared & What To Expect At An Indie Movie Premiere?
• What It Was Like Interning Under A Hollywood Actress?
• How To Stand Out On A Major Indie Film Set?

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: BLIND JUSTICE WILL BE SCREENING LIVE ON 6/21/24!

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The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions of failure to act related to the content in this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter and jurisdiction.