Sista Brunch is a weekly podcast about black women+ thriving in media and entertainment.
10/05/2025
We’re approaching summer and that means our regular season of Sista Brunch is coming to an end.
I am so grateful to be able to spend a few months out of the year speaking with, learning from and being real with so many amazing people. That’s what Sista Brunch is for. For us to love up on each other like only we can. ❤️Thank you and for coming on this journey. I already can’t wait till season 7.
A few more clips & posts to come before we fully close out. Because there’s so much brilliance. And a bonus episode or two this summer!
These photos are my edit in of our cohost .dupre and influencer and film/TV critic They are brilliant. Follow them and support their work. ❤️
08/05/2025
26/02/2025
My birthday gift this year was getting to facilitate a conversation with and show creator for their amazing and HISTORIC new daytime drama
Y’all! I haven’t watched a soap in many, many years and last night I couldn’t wait to dive into episode 2! This is the first new daytime drama in over 20 years AND one of the very first - and in far too long - to center a Black family! It’s fun and comes with some serious contemporary issues - all from the brilliant mind of a Black woman Michele Val Jean!!!
HAPPY 55th TO ME - seeing the representation I’m so committed to uplifting is my greatest gift ever. Thank you and the for bringing this amazing show to all of us. And thank you for bringing me into this lovely community ❤️❤️❤️
06/02/2025
🎉 Big Congratulations to Our Season 6 Co-Host, Shawn Pipkin-West! 🎉
We LOVE to see our Sista Brunch fam winning! 🏆✨ Huge shoutout to our phenomenal co-host Shawn Pipkin-West for being selected for Disney Entertainment Television’s 2024-2025 Directing Program! 🎬👏🏾
Shawn has been making waves in the industry for years, and now she’s stepping into an incredible opportunity to continue shaping the future of TV with her bold storytelling and visionary leadership. Disney recognizes what we’ve known all along—Shawn is a FORCE! 💥
Let’s flood her comments with love and celebrate this major moment! 💛
📢 Tune in to Season 6 of Sista Brunch, premiering February 4th, to hear more from Shawn and the inspiring guests we have lined up!
As we leave the platforms that no longer serve us, it’s important to know how to stay connected. We are exploring other platforms as well, but if you’re on Bluesky, we are too!
15/01/2025
Dear Sista Brunch Family,
For any of you who are impacted by the fires, we want you to know that we are here for support. We are reposting donation and support options in our stories. But if you have immediate needs that aren’t being met, please send us a DM and we will do all we can to support you.
Love,
Team Sista Brunch
11/09/2024
We couldn’t agree more but we’re out here doing all we can to help change this. For directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers too. this is everything we live for at Sista Brunch!💜💜💜
27/08/2024
🎬✨ New Episode Alert: Exclusive Insights with Entertainment Attorney Jalene Mack ✨🎬
We’re thrilled to bring you our final special live episode of Sista Brunch from the Essence Film Festival! 🌟 Fanshen sits down with the remarkable Jalene Mack (), exploring the critical world of entertainment law. 🎥📚
🔹 What’s Inside This Episode:
Navigating the Industry: Jalene shares her expert advice on protecting intellectual property and the essentials of fundraising for your projects.
Legal Insights: Discover why it’s crucial to have an entertainment attorney by your side from development to distribution.
Specialized Advice: Learn why opting for a specialized lawyer over a general practice one can make all the difference in your career.
🎉 Whether you’re a filmmaker, creative professional, or just a film enthusiast, this bonus episode is packed with valuable takeaways to help you navigate the complex landscape of the entertainment industry.
🔗Watch the full episode on YouTube at YouTube.com/ or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📌 Save this post for reference and share with fellow creatives who could benefit from Jalene’s invaluable insights!
27/08/2024
🎬✨ New Episode Alert: Exclusive Insights with Entertainment Attorney Jalene Mack ✨🎬
We’re thrilled to bring you our final special live episode of Sista Brunch from the Essence Film Festival! 🌟 Fanshen sits down with Jalene Mack (), exploring the critical world of entertainment law. 🎥📚
🔹 What’s Inside This Episode:
Navigating the Industry: Jalene shares her expert advice on protecting intellectual property and the essentials of fundraising for your projects.
Legal Insights: Discover why it’s crucial to have an entertainment attorney by your side from development to distribution.
Specialized Advice: Learn why opting for a specialized lawyer over a general practice one can make all the difference in your career.
🎉 Whether you’re a filmmaker, creative professional, or just a film enthusiast, this bonus episode includes takeaways to help you navigate the complex landscape of the entertainment industry.
🔗Watch the full episode on YouTube at YouTube.com/ or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📌 Save this post for reference and share with fellow creatives who could benefit from Jalene’s invaluable insights!
20/08/2024
🎥✨ Join us on Saturday, August 24 at 1pm for an unforgettable event for the American Cinematheque ‘Friend of the Fest Podcast Festival’!
Sista Brunch is proud to introduce the iconic film Alma’s Rainbow, directed by Ayoka Chenzira. This classic delves deep into Black sisterhood and the rich complexities of relationships among Black women and girls.
We’re thrilled to have Ms. Lillian Benson, A.C.E., joining us as a special guest! An A.C.E. lifetime achievement award winner, Ms. Benson is renowned not only for her stellar editing work but also for her tireless advocacy for diversity in post-production. She’ll be sharing her invaluable insights and experiences from working on the film. 🎬
🗓️ When: Saturday, August 24 at 1pm
📍 Where: Los Feliz 3, 1822 Vermont Ave, 90027
🎟️ Tickets: $8 for American Cinematheque members, $13 general admission
AND! We’re kicking things off with a mix and mingle at Fred 62, right across from the theater, starting at 11:30am. Connect with fellow film lovers and the Sista Brunch community before the screening! 💬
Let’s celebrate this important piece of cinema and phenomenal and important editor together. See you there! 🌟
18/08/2024
🚀 FinaBonus Episode Alert | 🎬 Sista Brunch at the Essence Film Festival!
🎙️ Join us for a captivating conversation with these two inspiring screenwriters/filmmakers, Letitia Guillory () and Crayton Robey ()!
🌟 In this episode, they share their journey, the inspiration behind their neo-noir crime drama screenplay “Hound Dog,” and valuable insights into the filmmaking process, from securing budgets to bringing 1950s stories to life. 🎥
Hear about their paths, the significance of Don Robey’s legacy, and how they’re pushing boundaries in the film industry. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!
📌 Listen Now: Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
📌 Watch the Full Episode: YouTube.com/trujulomedia
Let’s celebrate these incredible storytellers and support their journey! 🌐
🎧
12/08/2024
Our friend Lisa Marie Rollins () reached out to our host Fanshen and said, “You have to meet Jacqueline at Essence!”
So we were thrilled to have some time with novelist and screenwriter Jacqueline Luckett () to discuss her feature screenplay, “Passing Love,” which was selected for this year’s festival! 🎥
Sista Brunch shares the inspiring stories of Black women and gender expansive people thriving in entertainment and media.
👉🏾 Listen to the full episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
📺 Or watch the video here: YouTube.com/trujulomedia
Sista Brunch Team at Essence: Tasha Rogers: audio, Beau Williams: producer & camera, Kamesha Rodriguez: branding and talent coordinator, Brenda James: host, Fanshen Cox: host
Special thanks to these Black owned companies who donated to our SWAG bags: and especially to for connecting us with the brands.
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What is Sista Brunch?
Sista Brunch is a relaxed and fun interview-style podcast where Black women+ (cis-, transgender & non-binary) in the media reveal how they broke into—and now thrive in—one of the world’s toughest industries, with candor and humor.
The show is hosted by NAACP Award-winning director Anya Adams (Blackish, Fresh Off the Boat, G.L.O.W.) and Fanshen Cox, award-winning playwright, and co-author of the Inclusion Rider, made famous by Frances McDormand in 2018. Our guests are Black women+ working in all areas of entertainment. It’s a blend of the casual, contemporary nature of BuzzFeed’s Another Round with the in-depth interviews on NPR’s Fresh Air with industry leaders and trailblazers.
Sista Brunch’s mission is to share first-person stories of Black women+ across media / entertainment—building community around what can be an isolating experience—and inspire young people to reach for their dream careers.
Why the name “Sista Brunch”?
Several years ago, black women mentors of the Directors Guild of America trainee program began inviting their mentees to casual bi-monthly gatherings to talk about their experiences on set and offer guidance to their trainees and each other. This gathering came to be affectionately known as the Sista Brunch.
Eventually the Sista Brunch came to include women+ beyond the directing program. Our show’s co-creator and co-host Anya became the regular brunch host, and after being introduced to Fanshen by mutual friends, invited her to join.
Fanshen’s first Sista Brunch got her riled up. In working on the Inclusion Rider, she and her co-authors constantly faced pushback on including crew positions on the Rider. They were told ‘there aren’t enough underrepresented people to hire in these positions—why are you forcing us to do this?’ Yet here she was—breaking bread with Black women+ at various levels in their careers—and all talented and smart and committed to the work. She called Anya shortly after and asked, “How can we share this with the world!?” and the Sista Brunch podcast was born.
