Would you be willing to give love a second chance? This question sits at the heart of Tamara Bass’ (If Not Now, When?, Don’t Waste Your Pretty) highly anticipated upcoming feature ‘Rule Number One,’ starring Crystal Renee Hayslett (Sistas, Zatima) and Shannon Wallace (Diarra from Detroit, Beauty in Black) in a romantic drama that explores how love can flourish when and where we least expect it.
Set in New Orleans, the film centers on up-and-coming chef Nia Charleson (Hayslett), who lives by one strict rule: no monogamy. Healing from an unspoken trauma, she avoids commitment and pours all her energy into launching a brand-new restaurant. Her carefully constructed boundaries are suddenly challenged when Eric Gibson (Wallace), a man from her Chicago culinary school days, relocates to New Orleans with his teenage brother in tow to become her new general manager—forcing Nia to confront the past that shaped her rules in the first place.
Rounding out the ensemble, Bass pulls double duty behind and in front of the camera as Maya, Nia’s sister-like best friend and the restaurant group’s head of marketing and PR, who is navigating unexpected pregnancy news alongside her longtime fiancé, Zeke, played by Jon Chaffin (BMF, Diarra from Detroit). Additional key roles include Eric’s younger brother, Matthew—a teenager at a crossroads who finds his footing working in Nia’s kitchen—and Nia’s vibrant mother, Pearl, a semi-retired civil rights attorney who gently nudges her daughter to get out of her own way.
For Hayslett, stepping into Nia’s shoes under Bass’ direction was an immediate draw. “I’m so excited. I love her, her eye, and the visionary that she is. I am just so excited to be behind a Black director,” Hayslett shared. “This is the second time that I have been directed by a female, African American director, and there’s something special about that. In between takes, I feel seen, I feel understood, I feel heard, and the direction that she gives me comes from a real, authentic place that resonates with me.”
Written, directed, and produced by Bass, ‘Rule Number One’ stems from her mission to bring grounded, everyday Black stories to the big screen. “As a woman in this industry, and especially as a Black woman, there was this missing dynamic of Black women-led stories that had nothing to do with us being Black—just realistic portrayals of who we are,” Bass explained. “I am someone who doesn’t believe in complaining about something; I believe in trying to make that change happen, so I decided that I wanted to create the movie that I wanted to see.”
Hayslett also serves as a producer alongside Errol Sadler, Brandee Evans, Gold Morgan, and Marquida Maxwell. Production is slated to shoot on location in New Orleans, taking advantage of Louisiana’s film tax credit program.
After two years of fundraising and development, the team is actively raising money to bring ‘Rule Number One’ into production—with opportunities for supporters to get involved in helping bring the project to life. Ahead of the feature’s shoot, check out the teaser here for ‘It’s Still Complicated,’ Bass’ proof-of-concept short that inspired the film.
Investors interested in connecting with the team directly can reach out to Errol Sadler at errolsadler@tycorfilms.com or (718) 612-4010, or Tamara Bass c/o Shakira Hedgpeth at ColorCreative via shakira@colorcreative.com.
—Dominique Young // @heyyydommm