The K Word is in full Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival effect again this year. There are a lot of great films and documentaries showing this year but we are extremely excited about the MGLFF premiere of the short film Clean Hands.

“Clean Hands,” a dramatic short film about a marriage tested by a dying parent and conflicting beliefs, debuted at the 2014 Pan African Film Festival and is currently making the festival rounds. We are very happy to have had the opportunity to chat with Director Caryn K. Hayes.

Don’t forget to buy your tickets before they are sold out here. We are actually meeting for drinks after the viewing for some Cinco de Mayo drinks. Meet us there?

A graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and New Orleans native, Caryn has been writing fiction since grade school and is a published author. She is also a two-time winner of the TV Pilot Award in the original script competition presented by the Organization of Black Screenwriters for “The Ridge” in 2007 and “Dirty Thirties” in 2009. Additionally, she has produced, written and coordinated numerous documentary and corporate videos, short films, independent features, TV pilots and commercials. In the spring of 2008, Caryn began producing her own work under her production company, Hardly Working Entertainment.

Her first comedic digital series, “the world of cory & sid,” was nominated for Best Television or Web Series in 2009 by the Urban Mediamakers Film Festival.  She received an Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series award for her second series, “Breaking Point,” from the 2011 Los Angeles Web Series Festival.  To date, Breaking Point has been nominated or awarded 20+ times, including nods for Best Drama and Best Directing from the 2012 International Television Festival. Caryn’s most recent web series, a relationship dramedy, “Entangled With You” (which we loved) has already won five awards with three other nominations; the series will begin it’s second season in June 2014.

The Basics

1. Name – Government or prison affiliation? Either way, it’s Caryn K. Hayes.

2. Age (You can give me the range…) – Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway. Otherwise known as thirty-ish.

3. Yeah Yeah Yeah, we don’t like labels…..umm: So you understand? 🙂

Why You Rock

4. So what is your claim to fame? I write, direct, and produce some stuff with nothing but a wing, a prayer, and couch money.

5. What made you do what you are doing? – The voices in my head won’t shut up unless I give them a platform on which to play.

6. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? – Hopefully, not on “Iyanla, Fix My Life,” but I’ll take the timeslot afterward. And also on Showtime and ABC Family, too.

Community Affairs

7. What do you think are the State of Affairs in the LGBT community present-day? – Where do I begin??? First, not enough shirts. Second, what’s with so much division within the “community?” Third, can we get the youth off the streets? Fourth, I’m serious about the shirts…

8. What would you say to the young (and no-so-young) sister/brother who has decided to come out the closet? More power to you. No need to write a press release. Just do you. Use protection. Not with yourself but with others… Wait, are you old enough for us to have this conversation???

Just because I want to know..

9. What is in your nightstand drawer? *eyebrow raise* – Past due bills, a flashlight, and my elementary school ID. Why??

10. What is your definition of pride? – Joke about lions Knowing who you are and embracing it.

Twitter: @CarynGotThis, @HardlyWorkingTV
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardlyworkingtv
Instagram: http://instagram.com/hardlyworkingtv
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