New Movie Teyana Taylor Gets Career-Defining Role

Teyana Taylor, a multi-hyphenate R&B superstar fixture on the stage and screen, is starring in her first feature film as a single mother in 1990s Harlem. She is now staring in A Thousand and One as a woman kidnapped from her home when she was young who struggles to reclaim her son and begin anew.
With A Thousand and One, writer-director A.V. Rockwell delivers a tough and beautiful Harlem-set drama that charts the coming-of-age of Terry (Josiah Cross) under Inez’s care. As the story swerves through multiple plot twists and surprising story arcs, Rockwell’s debut is a deeply American tale of a family as a source of strength in a changing world.
Featuring a career-defining performance from Teyana Taylor as Inez, the film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival 2023. The jury said they were “emotionally moved by the film’s moving storytelling and compelling characters” and gave it a coveted Best Debut Actor award to Taylor for her captivating and commanding work as Inez.
Rockwell, who directed this film before making her feature debut, won the Best Director honor and was emotional in accepting the prize. She noted that it’s been a “long journey” for her and she was thankful for the support of the Sundance Institute.
Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani, and Brad Weston for Focus Features produced A Thousand and One. Additionally, it clinched the Grand Jury Prize for Drama at the festival and is scheduled for theatrical release on March 31st.
The Grand Jury Awards are presented to the best films at Sundance and are chosen by expert judges. This year, the jury included filmmakers Eliza Hittman, Jeremy O. Harris, and Marlee Matlin.
In the drama category, the jury praised Teyana Taylor for her performance as Inez. “She carried so much of the emotional weight across the film, giving it a piercing and resonant interpretation that haunted us for days,” the jury wrote in its citation.
Taylor has a long and illustrious acting career, having appeared in such films as Coming 2 America and the Oscar-nominated musical Love and Basketball. Her acting chops are evident in A Thousand and One, a film that has already been picked up for a major theatrical release by Focus Features.
With A Thousand and One, Rockwell delivers a tough and beautiful Harlem-set narrative that charts the coming-of-age of a precocious boy under the care of an unapologetic and free-spirited single mom. Her steadfast commitment to her son is an elegant ode to the power of family as a source of strength in an ever-changing world.
With A Thousand and One, Rockwell delivers the kind of tough, beautiful, and heartbreaking New York-set drama that’s often lost in a sea of similar stories. Her cast — including Teyana Taylor, William Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, and Aaron Kingsley Adetola — is strong as well, providing a stellar supporting ensemble. This will be a must-see for fans of Taylor and those looking for an emotionally engaging and thought-provoking new film to add to their 2019 queue.