Mutiny Pictures, a distribution and development company formed by producer Ben Yennie and development executive Colleen Butler, will release of Queen of the Capital, a documentary that tells the of D.C. bureaucrat by day/drag queen by night Muffy Blake Stephyns. Directed by Josh Davidsburg, the pic, which screened at this year’s Slamdance, follows her dream of leading a group of vibrant performers on a crusade for the community. Blending performance footage with verité style sequences, the documentary offers a look at what it takes to be Queen of The Court and a society that has no idea what to make of it all. The docu will be available June 20 on Alamo on-demand before opening in theaters a few weeks after. Mutiny has set out to provide a more transparent and modern development, sales and distribution company that is prioritizing diverse filmmakers and stories to help move the industry into the world post-COVID-19.

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Actor Denzel Whitaker, who has appeared In such films as The Great Debaters and Black Panther, is directing 5150, a short film, which he wrote, that explores mental health within the black community as well as the sometimes toxic power of celebrity. David Oyelowo is attached as an executive producer. Jovan Adepo (When They See Us, Jack Ryan, Watchmen) will star as Celeb, a world-famous but narcissistic celebrity whose erratic behavior leads him to be confined in a psychiatric institute under mysterious circumstances. Production is slated to begin in Los Angeles over the summer and the team has developed production guidelines to keep the cast and crew safe during filming. The film will serve as a proof of concept for a limited series to be produced by 4WT Media and Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon Productions.

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White Lotus Productions has launched production on 73 Minutes, a suspences thriller which will shoot during the lockdown where there will be no contact between actors and crew members. Lou Simón is at the helm, directing from her own script, which centers on an attorney whose daughter’s life is in jeopardy is she doesn’t deliver a file on time. Aniela McGuinness, Christopher Millan, Mike Stanley, Sheril Rodgers and Izzy Herbert make up the lead cast. Alan Hanna and Simón are producing. “While Hollywood studios are shut down, this is the time for independent filmmakers to shine,” said Simón. “With smaller cast and crews, we can keep working when big studios can’t. It’ll give us the opportunity to go back to basics – good, old-fashioned storytelling without the need for big stunts and expensive special effects.”