Lansing Everett grad's film to air on Magic Johnson's ASPiRE TV network

Patrick Thomas held a screening of his short film "Cut My Hair Barber" at Studio C in Okemos in October. It almost sold out.

Then the Lansing native returned to Atlanta to continue writing and directing short films, running his video production company, Edge of the Frame, LLC and shopping "Cut My Hair Barber" to film festivals.

But a chance meeting with a stranger promises to give the film a much wider audience. 

The 24-minute film was recently picked up by ASPiRE TV network, launched in 2012 by former Michigan State University and Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

"To have a short film picked up is great, and it encourages me to keep pushing even more to reach my goals," Thomas said. "I am grateful they saw fit to pick up this little film that so many people worked on to help to bring to life."

Vicci Saunders, a Howard University professor and director of the university's radio network, taught Thomas and worked with him on the script for "Cut My Hair Barber."

"He's so determined, and he has a vision of what he wants to do and what he sees," Saunders said. "I'm used to working around creative students who are very hyper, like me. I’m creative, and I’m hyper. But Patrick is very humble, calm, very, very, deliberate, and you can see the vision in his face. He’s very determined. And that was always inspiring for me."

Thomas says good timing played a big part in the film being picked up.

His video production company shoots corporate meetings, events, and company training videos. One particular client, the Scheduling Institute, has its training center in the same building as ASPiRE TV.

By chance, he met Juan Maitland, the rights and clearance manager at ASPiRE TV, outside of the building.

"Whenever I worked with the Scheduling Institute, I would go outside to warm up under the Georgia sun because it was like an icebox inside," Thomas said. "We introduced ourselves, became friends and would talk and get to know one another.

"One day, we began talking about what other type of work I did besides shoot corporate videos. I told him I was also a filmmaker."

Maitland asked if Thomas had any films he could view. Thomas told him that "Cut My Hair Barber" was on the film festival circuit and sent Maitland, who helps select films for ASPiRE TV, a link to the film.  

"He liked it and championed the film," Thomas said. "It took awhile. I think we had a friendship that just developed over time, even when I thought nothing was going to happen."

"Cut My Hair Barber" tells the story of Kwame Alexander (played by Evan Moses), a boy being raised by a single mother who longs for a father figure, who he believes is dead.

When he gets an assignment in school to trace his family history, Kwame finds a picture of a strange man, confronts his mother, and she tells him it's his father. When he discovers his father is alive, he goes on a journey to find him.

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Thomas was also raised by his mother, Park Alice Thomas. She was a strong, single woman, he says, who worked as a beautician at his aunt's beauty shop.

"I tried to mirror that as much as possible," Thomas said. "Kwame's character is more of me. I borrowed things from both of us."

Thomas' father, Judge Claude Thomas, was the first black judge in Ingham County. He wasn't in the household, but Thomas did have a relationship with him.

"In my film, I wanted to address young boys growing up without a father in the household," he said. "And it helps me because I relate to it."

The film is under contract for five years. A date for the showing has not been announced.

"He has a clear vision of who he is and what stories he wants to tell,"  Saunders said, "and that is 60% of the game. He knows the story he wants to tell."

"Cut My Hair Barber" is playing in Chicago at the Best of Black Harvest Film Festival, through July. The film has been shown at more than 15 festivals in the U.S., and outside the U.S.

Thomas is working on another film, "Apple Core," about an aging man who is trying to follow his dreams after he has been derailed from following them, for most of his life.

He plans to start shooting at the end of August and is looking for funding. The goal is $10,000. Donations for "Apple Core" may be made at www.claudeparkfilms.com/

Contact Vickki Dozier at (517) 267-1342 or vdozier@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickkiD.