Create the Writers Room has landed its films on one of streaming’s biggest free platforms. The creative incubator founded by filmmaker Rickey Castleberry has expanded its ongoing partnership with the Roku Channel, with select films from its Five Film Fridays screening series now available to the platform’s 100 million subscribers.
Founded in 2018, Create the Writers Room was built around a simple but urgent idea: that underrepresented filmmakers deserve not just a stage but an audience, and more importantly, the tools and knowledge to build sustainable careers on their own terms. Five Film Fridays is the organization’s signature initiative, a quarterly screening series in which five standout short films or proof-of-concept projects, handpicked by industry insiders, are showcased alongside intimate panels and conversations centered on ownership, authorship and navigating the entertainment industry.
“I was inspired to create Five Film Fridays as an outlet for creatives to network, build community, and truly understand the business behind their art,” Castleberry said. “Our collaboration with Roku reinforces our commitment to not only visibility but education, ownership, and long-term creative control.”
CTWR titles currently streaming on the Roku Channel include Sincerely Brad, Trailer Trash Magic, The Outtakes, The Errand and The Distinguished, Castleberry’s own sci-fi fantasy short that generated over 1.5 million views within 24 hours of dropping a three-second clip on social media before landing its Roku deal. Additional titles are slated to follow.
The most recent Five Film Fridays on June 26 featured See You Soon, written and directed by Jay Pendarvis Jr. and starring Asante Blackk and Isaiah John; Halfrican, created by Vic Mensa and directed by Edgar Esteves; Bubble Pop, written and directed by Aeryn Michelle Williams and starring Emmy Raver-Lampman; Mirage, written and directed by Jhanvi Motla; and Bukra, written and directed by Alex Aljouni.
The next installment of Five Film Fridays takes place October 16 in Los Angeles, with a special edition also expanding to New York City for the first time. Submissions are open through September 25, and for the first time CTWR is accepting feature-length films in addition to shorts. For more information, click here.
Maya Jackson of 1Community serves as head of programming for Five Film Fridays, with Dwayne Davis joining as creative operations manager. Castleberry is represented by Khalid Jordan at M88.