Film Makers Byron Manuel & Justin Graves Say Jay’s Art Isn’t Worth Suffering For

Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen

Film-Makers Justin Graves and Byron Manuel talk about what it takes to make movies in 2025 being young, talented, and black. They talk about finding the dream of movies and giving up the dreams of music and sport. They talk about doing what it takes on a budget, fundraising, festivals, developing a ton of projects, and getting their movie “Swoon” on Tubi. They also talk about being able to handle the gut punches that the business offers and keeping your spirits high.
Bio: Justin Antuan Graves was born Nov 17, 1984. He is an American writer and producer. Born in Beaufort, South Carolina. A military brat his whole life, he moved around a lot and found comfort in watching movies and cartoons all day as a child, especially comedies. Everything from Honey, I Shrunk The Kids to Friday to Superbad and beyond gave him the passion and confidence to begin writing. Justin started his first screenplay in 2016 and in 2018 he made the move from Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a screenwriter. With no network, he made his own short films and content that eventually led to becoming a writer for comedians and influencers online such as Juhan Jones, Virgil Harris and Kassandra Lee. Justin is best known for What Had Happened Was (2020), Booty Call Chronicles (2019) and most recently Swoon (2025) and Allure (2025). Justin is Co-President of On Script Pictures and is currently building a Hard R Comedy Film and TV slate with his partner Byron Manuel.
Byron Manuel is a Writer, Producer, Director, and Filmmaker from Los Angeles. He expresses his passion for storytelling through a unique lens. Byron got his start on critically acclaimed shows such as Showtime's "Kidding", HBO's "Euphoria", Disney's "KC Undercover", and "Run The World" on Starz, while simultaneously carving out his own lane as an Indie Filmmaker.