CynCity Productions has officially wrapped production on its debut feature film Fried Catfish, written by Inda Craig-Galván and starring Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Terri J. Vaughn, Anthony Fleming III, Malcolm Barrett, and Ayanna Bria Bakari.
The film centers on Veronica Brooks, a control-freak restaurant manager whose life takes a chaotic turn when she tries to rid herself of her suffocating ex-husband, Cornelius “Cornbread” Brooks. Instead of filing for divorce, Veronica opts for a more unconventional solution: she creates a fictional online girlfriend to distract him.
But things quickly spiral when Cornbread falls head-over-heels for “Nikki,” the ideal woman Veronica invented, and insists on meeting her in real life. What was meant to be a harmless escape becomes an increasingly complicated web of lies, forcing Veronica to rope in friends and coworkers as she juggles fake profiles, burner phones, and an elaborate double life.
As the deception deepens, Veronica is forced to confront more than just her ex-husband’s clinginess. The film uses its escalating chaos to reflect something sharper—her own need for control, avoidance, and emotional honesty. Ultimately, Fried Catfish evolves into a story about self-awareness, asking its lead to stop managing everyone else’s life and finally face her own.
Billed as a sharp, comedic twist on the rom-com genre, Fried Catfish shifts away from the traditional “getting the guy” narrative and instead focuses on personal accountability, identity, and emotional growth.
The film is executive produced by CynCity Productions alongside Inda Craig-Galván and Terri J. Vaughn, with McWilliams directing in her directorial debut. The production team also includes producer Choppe and director of photography R. Touss.
With filming complete, Fried Catfish marks a major milestone for CynCity Productions as it steps into feature filmmaking with a project that blends comedy, chaos, and a very human story about learning when to let go of control.