In this episode we interview filmmaker, Michael Tyner.

Michael Tyner is an acclaimed producer and director known for his award-winning scripted and documentary content highlighting music, culture, and transformative narratives. He made his directorial debut with Malcolmology, a nationally broadcast six-part documentary series based on Dr. Manning Marable’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. Tyner has been a producer consultant on several significant projects, including Netflix’s 2020 docu-series Who Killed Malcolm X?

Tyner has also worked in the scripted space. He is the co-founder of Truth 2 Power Films and, with Emmy-nominated director Karim Lopez, Tyner produced 5 short films. Jake, Tyner’s scripted director debut, premiered at the Pan-African Film Festival and won awards at the San Francisco Black Film Festival and Denton Black Film Festival.

Tyner went on to produce Target Is Hiring, a short film by Bronx-born award-winning director Joel Vargas. Target Is Hiring premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. Joel’s latest project, Mad Bill’s to Pay, is set to premiere at Sundance 2025. As Director of Development and Production at La Lutta Productions, Tyner has overseen the creation of numerous documentaries, including Frank Serpico and Roberta, which premiered on Hulu and American Masters’ PBS, respectively, and continue to screen globally.

Tyner's most recent film, The People's Way, a poignant story about three activists fighting for justice in the wake of George Floyd's murder, premiered at DOC NYC. Currently, Tyner is developing Play Like McCoy, the story about the legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner.