The gritty crime drama OLDHEAD, starring hip-hop artists Anthony “Dappa” Samuels and Sloan “D4M $loan” Morgan, released July 28th on Artist Presented Experiences (APEX), a new AVOD network dedicated to content presented exclusively by and for music artists. OLDHEAD is the first full-length feature film to debut on APEX.
Filmed entirely in Philadelphia over 15 days by an all-Philadelphian cast and crew, the film OLDHEAD concludes the story of the award-winning Oldhead web series (the three seasons of the web series are still available on YouTube and Tubi). Set in modern-day North Philadelphia, the film tells the story of LA, a young man with everything on the line, facing the choice to avenge his father’s murder or take the advice of his oldhead and walk away from the game for good. OLDHEAD is a story of the power of choosing who or what influences your decisions.
OLDHEAD features a talented cast of actors, including up-and-coming music stars Anthony “Dappa” Samuels and Sloan “D4M $loan” Morgan (Sloan recently starred in the Peacock network series Bel-Air). The powerful and nuanced performances bring depth and complexity to the characters’ struggles in an honest and unflinching portrayal of life in one of America’s toughest neighborhoods. OLDHEAD combines the community-driven story of Boyz n the Hood with the gritty and dangerous drug world of Belly, exploring the challenges young people face growing up in a world where drugs, violence, and poverty are all too common.
Written by Tony Chennault and Joshua Meekins, OLDHEAD is the directorial debut for former Villanova University basketball player, Tony Chennault. Tony had a storied academic, and athletic career as the number one high school basketball player in the country before attending Wake Forest University and then Villanova University. After his older brother’s life was taken by gun violence as an innocent bystander, Tony used his grief as motivation to continue his brother’s filmmaking dream by establishing Mike Jay Films, named in honor of his older brother. Tony’s pivot into filmmaking has garnered press and praise for his socially conscious content and speaking engagements against gun violence, with him being the subject of a short documentary. Tony’s hope for the film is, “After seeing this film, we hope everyone can understand the importance of having an “oldhead”, or older mentor, and that our decisions dictate the outcome of our lives.”
Shot digitally by breakout cinematographer Allen Hammond with a Black Magic Deep Pocket Cinema camera, the imagery of the film has warmth while giving a fly-on-the-wall POV. The film’s music, created by Anis Taylor, adds texture and feels like an extra character helping move the story along. OLDHEAD’s run time is 1 hour, 25 minutes.
OLDHEAD is a gripping and emotional journey that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Whether you are a fan of powerful dramas or simply looking for a thought-provoking and engaging film, OLDHEAD is a must-see.
OLDHEAD was released on July 28th on Artist Presented Experiences (APEX), a new AVOD streaming platform dedicated to content presented exclusively by and for music artists. You can download the app and watch it for free. Now on all Apple and Android devices.