Colorado filmmaker Nkosi Roma has completed Blue Check, his feature directorial debut, an independent black-and-white comedy-drama shot in just four days. The film stars Iman Shakur, Summer Marie Thomas, Jonathan Bynoe, and Mark Thomas.
Blue Check follows a controversial online influencer, played by Shakur, who spends an awkward evening with old friends who knew him before fame changed everything. Bynoe, known for his comedy skits and large following across Instagram and TikTok, plays a key supporting role.
Roma built his career as a cinematographer working on other filmmakers’ projects before stepping behind the camera as director. He was selected for the American Society of Cinematographers’ Vision Mentorship Program in 2024, and on Blue Check, he serves as writer, director, and cinematographer, a triple role that reflects the kind of hands-on control common among emerging independent filmmakers working with limited time and resources rather than studio infrastructure.
The film is now preparing for a festival run, with Roma targeting the 2027 Sundance Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado, as a key goal.
With a four-day shoot now behind him and festival submissions ahead, the real test for Blue Check will be whether its premise, built around fame, authenticity, and old friendships tested by internet success, resonates with audiences the way Roma clearly hopes it will once it reaches a wider screen.