Hey guys. Long time no chat. So I attended the "Queen of Katwe" movie premiere in the very front (!!!) row! It was at AMC Century City and my Uber ride there was lit thanks to the fact the driver had an aux! Slaying with that Drake and Lil Uzi Vert this week, fam. I got to meet the cast, including the fabulous LUPITA NYONG'O, DAVID OYELOWO, MADINA NALWANGA, and more, and even got to interact with Fiona, the Ugandan girl who the movie is based off of—she is a real star! The stars were so humble, and played the village people of Katwe amazingly well. One panelist commented how Nyong'o both struts the red carpet and seamlessly fits in as a maize-selling single mother in the Ugandan village! How cool that she can fit into both atmospheres so effortlessly?! Also... I got to sit in the director's chair and walk the red carpet.... An extraordinary day in the life! :)
Most relevant advice you'll ever receive: attend the best school ever, USC, in order to have access to super cool events and experiences like this! I love how I am in the #1 BCA (Business Cinematic Arts) program in the country and how we are in the center of all the action and fun of Los Angeles... No place I'd rather be! Not surprisingly, these sorts of premieres, red carpet, award shows, and celebrity events are super easy for LA students to access! It's all about keeping on the lookout for them!
So blessed to have had the opportunity to see the film first and ask questions about the production and cast (the Q&A sesh was actually live-streamed across the country, so it was pretty surreal!). I definitely recommend watching this eye-opening true story of a girl who knew what she wanted, doggedly pursued her dreams, and stands today as a champion of female intelligence and feminism... Hard to believe that this is a Walt Disney Studios movie—just because of the difficult topics of poverty, rejection, sexism, and racism that the movie covers so well! I think it's great that Queen is PG, because now individuals can learn about these life themes earlier on, in turn making society more aware of other cultures and lifestyles! Also I'm obsessed with the fact that the director, Mira Nair, is a WOMAN who CELEBRATES THE FEMALE PRESENCE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY!!! I'd love to collab with her in the near future! ;)
For those of you who have been asking about my outfit: I make my style affordable AF! Silk top and gold hoops from H&M on Fig, jeans from Forever 21, heels from Steve Madden, and choker from Dolls Kill! It's easy to find good deals on great looks, especially in LA, when you look hard for them!
My advice to everyone and anyone who wants to be a part of the industry is attend as many of these types of events as possible and network, network, network at them! Below is my photographic documentation of my ridiculously blessed experience with these stars! XO ARW
PS- If you a bad betch, don't forget to follow me on Odyssey and my social!!!!
instagram.com/westxphoto
facebook.com/westxphoto
westxphoto.com
thewestcoast.vsco.co
twitter.com/WEST_notkanye
instagram.com/amandaromewest
snap: Amanda_Please6
Director Amanda West reporting for duty! XOXO
^ The real star of the movie, Fiona the everyday superhero from Uganda, and me!
^ I got to talk to Lupita, but I didn't get an up close selfie with her because the security was pretty tight :( ... This must suffice!
^ The cast of The Queen of Katwe and me!
^ TROJAN FIGHT ON!
^ This premiere was out of this WORLD! In love!
^ Typical USC student be like...
^ Outfit. Goals. !!!
^ Fiona, the girl who the movie is ABOUT!!!! AHHHHH!
^ I loved Lupita's blue-accent heels! So stylish!
^ LOL.