The Distinguished, the short film which screened at The Micheaux Film Festival, is now streaming on The Roku Channel through a deal with writer-director Rickey Castleberry’s Do Good Productions. The short film is based on Castleberry’s upcoming novel, The Distinguished: The Tale of Making a Gentleman.

Co-written by Rodney Wilkins, the cast includes Jabbar Lewis, Harold Perrineau, Tracie Thomas, Jonathan Burke, Tosin Morohunfula, Charles Smith, Shawn Carter Peterson, Luke Youngblood, Gentry White and Chris West.

“As a filmmaker, this is the dream: aligning with a global distributor like The Roku Channel and collaborating with a team of visionary executives who recognize and support my creative vision,” said Rickey Castleberry in a statement “With Roku’s platform, I have the opportunity to showcase my work and connect with millions of sci-fi and fantasy enthusiasts. This is more than a milestone. It’s the dawn of something extraordinary. This is the beginning of The Distinguished.” 

The film’s official description reads, “Sevyn, a college freshman at a prestigious HBCU, is haunted by mysterious messages from a supernatural force in his dreams. Desperate to understand their meaning and decipher the enigmatic messages, the boundary between his nocturnal visions and reality
blurs, leading him on a journey to uncover his family’s legacy.” 

Castleberry, Zach Fuqua, Khalid Jordan, Jordan Shanks and Jabari Redd executive produce the film.