This week on On Story we’re talking to Hustle & Flow producer, Stephanie Allain for a conversation on producing.

Stephanie Allain is a producer, known for her work in both film and television. Her work includes Hustle and Flow, Beyond the Lights, and Dear White People, a political commentary turned dramedy. 

Hustle & Flow follows a street hustler’s attempt to make it in the hip-hop industry, featuring several BET award-winning performances and appearances by rappers like Ludacris and Juicy J. 

Beyond the Lights tells the story of a mentally-unstable woman who has been shoved toward stardom by her domineering mother and finds her trajectory changed when a young cop stops her from taking her own life. 

Dear White People follows the stories of a group of black students trying to navigate life at a predominantly white, elite university.

In 2021 Allain attended the Austin Film Festival, where she received the Polly Platt Award for Producing.

Moderator Casey Baron sat down with Stephanie Allain for a panel about her work at the Austin Film Festival.

Clips of Hustle & Flow courtesy of Crunk Pictures LLC.

Clips of Beyond the Lights courtesy of Blackbird Productions, LLC.

Clips of Dear White People courtesy of Homegrown Pictures.