On rediscovering your queer self after graduating from University

“Everyone loves to talk about moving to University, but no one seems to talk about moving away from University”

Many young queer people find University to be a transformative experience, where they can surround themselves with like-minded individuals and form close-knit relationships that might have been impossible in their hometowns. These friendships often encourage them to express themselves more authentically than ever before. However, graduation comes in the blink of an eye, bringing with it an abrupt end to this freedom for those who are forced to return home.

One such person is my friend Ami. Ami is 26 years old, non-binary, queer, disabled, and loudly-and-proudly Scottish, as well as one of the most creative and kind people I know. Ami and I met on our first day of University, after I offered to pick them up on move-in day. I knew immediately we would be bonded for life. And I was right! I will personally attest to the transformation Ami experienced throughout University, as they blossomed into themselves and began presenting in a way which befit their gender identity while pursuing queer relationships and their passions in acting and film/media.

After we graduated together in 2024, Ami moved back home and took a retail job while searching for opportunities in media. Despite applying to every role available, nothing was working, and they had to remain at their retail job for over a year. I could see the toll that being back in their hometown and working retail was taking on them, because they were clearly feeling stuck in a place that was less accepting than the safe community we had worked so hard to build. "While at University, I became myself in a way. I was my true authentic self when I was [there]”, they reminisced, “I really grew into the person that I always wanted to be. And when I moved back home, what I didn't realise was that it would be a slow decline into no longer being myself". So you can imagine how glad I was to hear that they had finally found their chance to make it out of their wee town.

Riot Party (Photo creds: Riot Party via X)

Everything changed when Ami met Will online. Will introduced them to Manchester's vibrant queer scene through Riot Party, an unabashedly queer, intersectional and sex-positive rave, and through a diverse community of queer and polyamorous folk who regularly attend this event. The contrast between Glasgow and Manchester's queer scenes was immediately apparent to Ami. "Glasgow's queer scene, [when I compare it to Manchester’s], is little to non-existent", they explained. "I just felt that I could not be openly queer where I lived. I couldn't be openly non-binary. I essentially went back into the closet when I moved back home. Which is terrifying, because I spent so many years getting myself out of it". Then, after meeting Will and the rest of the group in Manchester and attending their first Riot Party together, Ami became completely enamoured with the freedom they had suddenly regained through this experience, and thus decided to put aside their anxiety and make the move. I find this very inspiring, so I decided to interview them about the incredible journey they have been on to regain their sense of identity and community.

Their first Riot Party experience was definitely a transformative one. "I remember [arriving at Manchester’s Gay Village] and it almost felt like being on holiday, in a way. It seems a bit silly, but that’s how I felt seeing the strip of bars and clubs, and everything being so big and vibrant". The event's careful attention to consent and boundaries created a safe space where Ami could truly feel comfortable to be themselves. They also highlighted how seeing other people living their most authentic lives allowed them to shed some of the pre-event anxiety and truly enjoy themselves. “It was really, really nerve-wracking, because I was about to walk into an event that I had never been to before, and because it was my first kink party. But it felt like a proper queer event. And I was surrounded by these people that I barely knew, but who were all so incredibly supportive of each other”. "It was as if I was opening up to a whole new world. And, straight away, seeing how everyone was dressed, how everyone was presenting themselves and how everyone was just being themselves… It was the most freeing feeling for me".

The local community welcoming them with wide-open arms also definitely helped. "I was essentially walking into a room of strangers, practically naked, and the second I took off that coat I just instantly felt welcomed. I didn't feel the need to hide, because everyone looked so incredible. I thought 'Fuck yeah, I belong here'". And then I was approached to go to the playroom, not even an hour after arriving”. Ami’s first experience in the playroom, “a guarded-off room with a bunch of BDSM equipment and surfaces to have sex on” which you can only access after discussing consent and boundaries with your scene partner/s, “felt like a sigh of relief, in a way”. “Despite the fact that I was having sex in front of at least 10 other strangers, it didn’t feel like I was putting on a show or that it was fetishized”, they confided in me. It allowed them to explore a sexual side of themselves that they had always known was there, without the anxiety that comes with compromising personal boundaries and safety to appease others.

Their favourite memory comes from their second Riot Party, which celebrated the theme of "Fuck the Patriarchy, but not for free!" alongside sex workers' experiences. "I'd say that my favourite memory from Riot so far was seeing these sex workers, who were incredible, and basically had a full set with a DJ and just got up on stage... There was no choreography, there was no set thing that they had to do... They just got on stage and had the time of their lives. And for me, that was really nice to see, because it was just a massive celebration. And especially because there were a couple of trans sex workers who were dancing on stage which, with the recent legislations that’s been passed by the UK government, is very important. Seeing that and being able to come together in a space where everyone is welcome, no matter your skin colour, sexuality, gender or whether you are disabled or not (they had that accessibility) was amazing… Everyone was being celebrated”.

I think it’s safe to say that Ami will return to Riot in the future, and continue building their self-confidence as they re-emerge from the closet and into their new life among the queer folk in Manchester. As their close friend, I have already noticed the huge difference this move has meant for Ami, and while I can tell that they are scared due to the uncertainty their future holds, I know this to be the right path for them. I went through something similar when I decided to move abroad to study at University as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, only to come out the other end as a staunch feminist and unabashedly queer writer. So I personally know how uplifting it is to surround yourself with queer folk who you can bond with on a deeper level and how these kinds of relationships have the potential to bring out your authentic self.

I’m certain that the world hasn’t even begun to see what Ami is capable of. With the right level of encouragement and support, Ami (as well as any other queer person who may also be feeling left behind) will slowly shed the years of shame they have accumulated internally, and eventually, from their cocoon will emerge the magnificent butterfly they were always destined to be. When faced with the type of society that shuns individuality, creativity and queer identities and sexualities, many young people retreat into themselves to appease the world around them, at the cost of their own mental stability and authenticity. While this choice is often made to ensure their own safety, I still dream of a world where no one has to hide their real personality from a bigoted majority who fundamentally misunderstands them. Ultimately, I hope that all my queer siblings will eventually be granted this same opportunity, so that we can see each other thrive the way we were always meant to. And if you find your place but lose it, let Ami inspire you. It is never too late for you to find it. There is still time.

Final shot from ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ (dir. Jane Schoenbrun, 2024). (Photo creds: Medium)

FEATURE: Sandy Kilpatrick comes home to a heartfelt showcase of local folk talent

Come along with Folk & Honey on a night out in Glasgow to celebrate Sandy Kilpatrick’s career milestone and read all about our exclusive interview with him! 

Part I: The homecoming gig.

On Easter Monday, April 21st, people gathered with friends and family to celebrate what truly matters to them. To some, this looked like a picnic in a park or a barbecue with friends. But, for a lucky group of music lovers, Easter Monday was to be celebrated at Glasgow’s iconic live music venue, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, where the monthly ‘The Glasgow Songwriter Round’ was to be held. The ‘Round’, as it is usually referred to, is a Nashville-inspired free event in which four artists perform in turns, fostering a sense of intimacy and camaraderie between performers and audiences and creating highly unique and personable performances.

I arrived just in time. The bar had started filling up an hour before the venue doors opened, and the crowd’s anticipation was already palpable. The doors opened - to a general “whoop!” and applause - as people excitedly climbed the stairs and found their seats. King Tut’s venue is an intimate space, with a stage to the right of the stairs and the bar to your left. In front of the stage, the staff had arranged circular tables and chairs (with free popcorn!) for the audience. I found my seat at the front, right by the stage, ready to take the night in. The rest of the audience followed suit, sitting in small clusters of 4-6 people and chatting among themselves as if they were all lifelong friends, despite the diversity in age and gender of people in attendance. I was immediately certain that most of them regularly attend the ‘Round’(considering it is a free event that brings people together to unite them with a common love for live music and folk artistry) in the heart of Scotland’s music capital.

The room was lit up by warm lamps and multicolour stage lights, as well as by the twinkly fairy lights which adorned the microphone stands, and buzzing with anticipation. Around half-seven, Sandy took the stage, followed by Sarah Jane Scouten, Kirsteen Harvey and Venus As A Boy (aka Cammie). They sat (in this order) on their stools and grabbed their guitars as Sandy greeted the crowd. As a long-term fan of the ‘Round’,  Sandy seemed ecstatic to have been invited back to perform in Scotland after moving to the north of Portugal in 2000, and greeted the crowd with an ample smile and a word of thanks for Jenn, the organiser of the ‘Round’.

Sandy Kilpatrick has had a career some can only dream of. He recently surpassed the 25-year milestone and can now boast of his career’s longevity and influence in international waters. He is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, born in East Kilbride in 1968, known for being the frontman of Manchester’s cult band Sleepwalker between 1995 and 2000 and a prolific folk performer and songwriter. After his Sleepwalker days, Kilpatrick moved abroad to Portugal to live on a refurbished farm with his family. Now, he regularly delights international audiences between the UK and Portugal. His songs have been featured by Elbow´s Guy Garvey on BBC Radio 6 Music, by Iain Anderson on BBC Radio Scotland, and by Mark Radcliffe on BBC Radio 2. Sandy has also received raving reviews from platforms like ‘CLOUT’, ‘It’s All Indie’, ‘Music Crowns’, etc.

Sandy kicked off the night with ‘The Light of the Moon’. This song, originally released in 2015 as part of Sandy’s album ‘The Shaman’s Call’, was the perfect opener. Its live arrangement was contemplative and melodic, with Sandy’s guitar accompanying his homesick and nostalgic lyrics perfectly. But what truly stood out to me during this song was Sandy’s smile. As he revisited his homesickness a decade later, while performing an ode to Scotland in the heart of Glasgow, Sandy’s facial expression reflected the warmth of experiencing such a full-circle moment, tenfold. While the melancholic tone of the song’s studio version was still unequivocally present at the song´s core, this particular performance was marked by Sandy basking in the glow of coming home. The subsequent applause was tumultuous.

“I’ve travelled so far just to find / I didn’t leave my people behind / My people are with me tonight / Oh, Lord, take me home / on the wings of my song /And leave me beside / the banks of the Clyde”

His next song, ‘The Spark’, is Sandy’s latest release and the most powerful love song of his career. It is an ode to Sandy’s wife and muse and was directly inspired by a transcendental conversation they had in the early stages of their relationship. He explained to us how his wife’s response to a simple question (“What makes art good?”) ignited within him the desire to continue pursuing a music career. ‘The Spark’ sonically depicts this too: The intro slowly builds and pauses, with Sandy’s first verses tugging at the audience’s heartstrings as he reminisces. Sandy’s voice, clearly well-trained and adept at captivating audiences after years of performing live, let his devotion shine through as he basked in the freedom of loving so deeply and unconditionally. It soared towards the end as his guitar chords crescendoed and then quieted down to revel in the sincerity of his feelings as professed throughout the outro, ending the song to another rowdy applause as my favourite lyrics from ´The Spark´ whirled around in my mind:

“You were so beautiful / and made just for me / You set me free / Oh, you set me free / to live an illuminated life / To live an illuminated life / All you need / All you need is a spark”

Next, he performed ‘The Hunter’s Moon’, which is still unreleased. After admitting to being terminally “obsessed by the moon”, Sandy explained how this song came to him during a feverish late-night outing, while a storm raged over his family’s farm in Portugal. The live arrangement depicts this vividly, with the song’s beat mimicking raindrops on a traditional Portuguese tile roof. The song is full of musical Portuguese influences and was inspired by Sandy’s rediscovery of nature in this foreign ecosystem. After the chorus escalated, mimicking thunder, Sandy broke into the kind of improvisational singing best reserved for standing "alone in the rain, in your pyjamas, at 2AM”, thus transporting the audience to this magical song’s setting. As the chords started fading out, I was strongly reminded of how an onslaught of rain would come down, hard, and soften again once a storm passes.  Through this incredibly poetic performance, Sandy transformed the feeling of being ‘held’ by Mother Nature into a sonic hug for his audience and was rewarded with warm applause.

“Mother Nature is there for me /  Yes, she’s gonna hold you”

Sandy concluded his set with ‘We Don’t Need Tomorrow’, a song he released in 2012 for the ‘Redemption Road’ album. After a trip to Harlem which helped him reevaluate the melancholic tone of his previous music, he decided to scour his memories for more uplifting musical inspirations. Drawing from memories of a communal hiking trip from his University days, Sandy wrote this upbeat, summery song to remind himself, and his audience, of the pleasure of sharing a sunny day with friends. His smile was incredibly infectious, as the strummy arrangement imbued us with the easy-breezy energy of those jovial summery days. Sandy had shown us the chorus in advance, so the audience joined him in singing the last chorus. It was truly the perfect choice to finish his set, so when Sandy cut out his guitar at the very end, the audience’s voices intermingled with the other performers’ and his own to create a unique harmony that lifted everyone’s spirits. The following applause was out of this world.

“It all begins with friends / Friendship’s the fuel that never will end / We lay in the shade of a willow tree / in the heat of the afternoon sun”  “We don’t need tomorrow / Until the day is done”

The other singers, whose sets were intermingled with Sandy’s, following the traditional structure of songwriting rounds, also delivered very impactful performances. Sarah Jane Scouten, a young Canadian singer-songwriter, first captured the audience by performing a song in John Prine’s memory, but it was the story behind her arrangement of ‘Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry’ that truly enamoured everyone present. This song, which tells the story of countless Canadian mothers who were forced to send their sons to fight in Europe during WWI, was a powerful and defiant cry against the hypocrisy of chauvinistic, war-hungry men who have long denied the important role women played during these dark times. Glaswegian singer-songwriter Kirsteen Harvey also managed to move the entire crowd with a selection of original songs dedicated to her family and the beautiful landscapes of Scotland. Her goosebump-inducing arrangement of ‘Burning On’ received a huge applause, as she reflected on her past struggles and how the will to keep on going “came to [her] like an angel in the night". Kirsteen gifted us an extra song to close the show, a heartfelt rendition of the iconic Scottish folk song ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’, enlisting the help of everyone present to do so. And last, but certainly not least, was Venus As A Boy, who enchanted all of us in the audience with the "folk’n’roll" inspired ‘Tiny Grains of Sand’ and another song remembering Agnes Samson and the witches of East Lothian. However, nothing could top the powerful emotions in the room after ‘Rainbow Ball’, a song written to commemorate the life of a close friend who had recently passed away, which was written and performed with his friend’s old guitar and a plethora of bittersweet memories carried lovingly in his soulful singing voice.

I left King Tut’s feeling overwhelmed by the wave of conflicting emotions these performers’ songs had unleashed onto me, which is something I deeply appreciate every time I have the honour of witnessing live music shows. Seeing this wee show in the heart of Glasgow’s music scene was truly magical, and I can confidently say I will return for more. I don’t think I could ever get enough of these truly intimate and human moments in which art is shared with all kinds of people, who peek into the soul of an artist through their music and resonate with what they encounter, leaving the experience completely changed by the beautiful act of connecting at the deepest level. At a smaller venue like Tut’s, the proximity to the artists (as well as the phenomenal acoustics) will have you rediscovering feelings you thought were long-lost, or learning how to view the world from a previously unencountered perspective. This is why I (and so many others) truly love and appreciate live music and the wonderful musicians who make it all possible. All I have left to say to Sandy, Sarah, Kirsteen and Cammie is, very simply, thank you.

As an Editor for Folk & Honey, I had the added privilege of reaching out to Sandy to ask him for an interview and dig deep into his 25 years of experience in the music industry. I instinctively felt that he would be the kind of person with buckets of anecdotes and advice to share, and I was dead right. A couple of days after the gig, I had the absolute privilege of chatting with Sandy- calling from his sunny, stunning family farm in Portugal- about the wild ride that has been these past 25 years.

Part II: The interview.

Throughout the gig, I got the impression that Sandy was an incredibly personable artist with a wealth of experience and knowledge on all things folk-adjacent that I was keen to unpack, as I strongly believed that this would add an enriching perspective and background to his music. After interviewing him, I can confirm this to be true.

To begin, I asked Sandy where his love for live music comes from. Sandy takes me back to his early teens, telling me stories about sneaking into the renowned Barrowland Ballroom, one of Glasgow’s most well-worn and loved venues, and Glasgow’s Celtic Park to go see live shows. Many Scots credit the Barrowland’s 91 years of history as the catalyst for their love of music, and Sandy is no exception. “I must have been 13 or 14 when I was sneaking into shows… I saw Echo & The Bunnymen there”, he confesses. These early shows ignited in him a spark, which eventually grew and evolved into developing his guitar skills and covering songs towards his last days as a student in Lancaster, which is also when he met his now wife, Tess. But Sandy felt an even stronger pull towards the “spiritual” connection of a “communal gathering” in which live music is performed: “I do consider it a sacred experience, really”.

Soon, he started writing his own songs and performing them, becoming fully “music-obsessed” and, following a move to Manchester, immersed himself in the music scene. He kickstarted his career by playing in a cult band called Sleepwalker, previously known as “The Hum of Good Machines”. His early days in Manchester were shaped by the dichotomy of the camaraderie that was established among most bands and the competitive edge of the scene. “We wanted to be the best, and it’s really important to have that fire to be the best that you could be”. This drove Sleepwalker to regularly perform in venues that have hosted some of the world’s biggest music stars, like the well-respected Manchester Roadhouse, which was the heart of a lot of English music talent during its heyday. “[We] played a lot of shows at The Roadhouse. [It] became a second home because [of] the people that ran it”. It was there that Sandy established a close friendship with Elbow, especially with Guy Garvey. “Guy came to see almost every show that I played with Sleepwalker. Even when they got signed to Island Records, [they would] come up sometimes [while] they were recording their first album”.

Sleepwalker fostered these relationships with other musicians, and in 1999 they were approached by The Roadhouse’s staff to see if they would like to open for Muse. “It looks better in retrospect”, Sandy contemplates, “[but] I played with a few bands that seemed really promising, you know?”. “It was good to play with them [and] the concert was okay. In my opinion, they were just taking the baton from Radiohead”. Sleepwalker’s success grew, and soon they were launching their first single ‘Sleepwalking’ to a full house in Withington’s Cine City Cinema, in April of 2000, with Elbow as their opening act. He cites this as a truly fond memory from many, many years ago and confides in me that he is still great friends with Guy Garvey to this day. While Sleepwalker eventually disbanded, Sandy knew that his heart was still in music and persisted as a solo artist.

Unfortunately, life rarely turns out as planned, and Sandy was forced to relocate to Portugal to be with his family. During this time, he independently released ‘Incandescent Night Stories’, a heavier album which reflected the bittersweet feeling of finally reuniting with his family at the cost of leaving his home country behind. “[The album] was quite heavy because the transition from Manchester to Portugal was absolutely heartbreaking for me”. Left unsatisfied with the reception to this album, Sandy decided to step back and spend some time building a network of friends, musicians and collaborations before coming back to music. Following this brief hiatus, Sandy eventually met and began working with long-term Portuguese collaborators André Silvestre and João Robim (aka Robim), as well as local photographer and filmmaker Eduardo Brito. Together, this eclectic group of artists have collaborated and helped Sandy produce his favourite released projects.

While working on writing for his album ‘Redemption Road’, Sandy embarked on a road trip with Eduardo, which became the inspiration behind the multimedia project ‘Terras Últimas’. This took them from their towns in the north of Portugal to all the European towns that once upon a time used to be considered the end of the world: Finisterre (in Galicia, Spain), Finistère (in Brittany, France) and Land’s End (in Cornwall). Thus, ‘Terras Últimas’ was born as a collection of photographs, music and sketches inspired by this incredible road trip Sandy and Eduardo took. “It was a very beautiful project and we both put a lot of love into that”, Sandy reminisces, “but it was also quite odd [and] a bit mad and risky”. Revitalised by this trip and the ability to flex his creative muscles, Sandy went back home and completed ‘Redemption Road’.

‘Redemption Road’ was deeply influenced by another trip, this time to New York, during which Sandy visited a gospel church in Harlem. He was inspired by the profound spirituality and human connection of gospel music and now cites this moment as a “turning point” in his life. “[It] was really pivotal”, he muses. “In retrospect, I became ready to write the songs about nature that have become my focus after that”. He explained that this became his phenomenological “portal” into songs, which is in part inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s approach to songwriting: “He’s a novelist, really”.

In the wake of ‘Redemption Road’, Sandy took up a new approach to writing and releasing music, which can clearly be seen in his latest projects. His latest release (which teases his next album ‘Illuminations’), ‘The Spark’ celebrates this turning point in his life by examining another pivotal moment, wherein Tess explained to him that art only needs to make someone feel something to be ‘good’. “I knew that I wanted to approach art on this album”, he explains, “and I didn’t want to just be writing postcards about nature. The [core] idea really is my engagement as an artist, as a songwriter, with [the Norwegian landscape]”, much like his previous album ‘Confessions from the South’ was “a homage to different places in Portugal”. More specifically, ‘The Spark’ celebrates both his conversation with Tess and the bright light of Ålesund, a Norwegian town known for attracting travelling artists. While this album has been taking some years to be released, Sandy prefers it this way. “I’ve been talking about releasing it for two years… And I suppose it would be different if I was with a major label [but] the industry has become kind of broken [so] the best way to have a fulfilling experience is doing it like this, on my own terms”. As such, ‘The Spark’ remains a beautifully-written love song, deeply personal in its devotion towards Sandy’s wife and muse, through which he also imbues his audience with the desire to pursue art, for art’s sake, and with the knowledge that to love wholeheartedly is to be truly free.

‘The Spark’ has given Sandy quite a bit of traction in the UK’s folk music scene. “I feel very blessed”, he smiles, “but I would’ve loved to have more opportunities in the UK, and that’s why I relocated [here] last year… [Now] things are looking very good”, he states. “The music [in Portugal] has evolved incredibly in the last 20 years”, he tells me, “but I’ve definitely felt a lot of longing, and I’ve been missing Scotland a lot”. When asked about how it felt to come home and play in King Tut’s, he said “It felt fantastic, to be honest. I love being in Glasgow, I love being in that [musical] context. It just felt natural to be at home, and the chemistry in King Tut’s was great, the public were amazing… I couldn’t have asked for any more as a reintroduction”. He has plans to return soon, to promote a new single which will also tease ‘Illuminations’. “It’s all been growing quite organically and nicely”, he reflects, “but what I’m really excited to do in the UK [is] do a load of live shows with my band”. As such, Sandy is set to reach another career high once ‘Illuminations’ is ready for release, and if the crowd at King Tut’s is any indication of how this will go, I think it’s safe to say that UK audiences will greet him with open arms. With his parting words, he gave me some advice to pass on to aspiring musicians who might be looking for their own spark: “Just keep looking. It’s quite an organic process, [so just] keep going. Trust the process of your work, and eventually you will find your own voice”.

Is Ryan Coogler’s Sinners the catalyst for a new era of Hollywood?

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is currently at the centre of a worldwide debate, due to the atypical details surrounding the release of his latest smash hit, Sinners. Sinners is a supernatural horror film- with long-term collaborator Michael B. Jordan starring in a dual role as twins- set in the South of the US during the Jim Crow era, about two brothers who open a juke joint for the local Black community and unknowingly invoke a horde of white vampires with their soulful music. Its appeal stems from a magical combination: blood, sex, vampires, an incredible soundtrack by Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson and what seems to be Michael B. Jordan’s best performance yet.

Sinners, which openly discusses themes of systemic racism and Black ownership, is in the hot seat because of the conditions of the contract Coogler presented during the studio bidding war, during its pre-production phase. This contract’s terms were very unusual, because Coogler pushed to retain final cut and first-dollar gross privileges, and- more importantly- for Sinners’ ownership rights to revert to him 25 years from now. This repelled all studios but Warner Bros., due to it upsetting the power they usually hold with their ownership of rights over cinematic back catalogues.

However, despite these terms, Sinners is on track to prove its worth after smashing the box office during its opening weekend with $48 million (toppling WB’s own A Minecraft Movie) and showing no signs of slowing down. It is hurtling towards becoming the highest-grossing R-rated April release since 1993’s Indecent Proposal and one of the highest-grossing original screenplays of 2025. It is also one of the most well-reviewed releases of 2025, breaking records with a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A rating on CinemaScore, thus becoming the first ever horror film to receive this distinction.

Despite Quentin Tarantino successfully negotiating a similar contract for 2019’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, this affront to Hollywood’s studio hierarchy is only making headlines now. Executives are saying Sinners set a “very dangerous precedent” which could “end the studio system” for good. Coogler has stated that he was motivated by the importance of owning the film he made about Black ownership as a Black director himself, and that he most likely won’t seek to own other films in the future. Regardless, a precedent has been set, and other directorial prodigies might similarly leverage their talents to combat the traditional studio model of copyright ownership. Coogler most likely chose to fight this particular battle as a means to defend something that truly matters to him both as a director and as a Black man, similar to how Sinners’ Smoke chooses to fight for the space he created for his community to the end. 

With the demand for diverse and original projects increasing, the traditional box-office-topping blockbusters and franchises are being left behind by audiences and celebrities alike. A 2024 study revealed that audiences prefer original independent films over franchises, remakes and similar derivative formats. In short, people care more for media which pushes social boundaries with an important message than for media that rehashes existing stories for a quick buck. This phenomenon explains the contrast between Sinners’ general reception and desperate-seeming releases from similar studios with even larger budgets, like A Minecraft Movie. Or Coogler’s own Black Panther- one of Marvel’s highest-grossing films of all time- when compared to most of Marvel’s recent releases, for that matter. Another example is Flow, 2025’s animated darling, which beat Disney’s Inside Out 2 with a completely unique story and both some technically impressive animation, which took its independent studio five years to finish. In short, the difference between these projects and their general reception stems from Hollywood’s creatives, who can either choose to create original films with messages that matter to them or to appease the demands of production companies and studios who are only interested in generating revenue.

So, will the future landscape of Hollywood be irreparably transformed in the wake of Coogler’s deal for Sinners? I think the answer depends on Hollywoods’ creatives. Coogler has now set a precedent, which studio executives are acutely aware of, that puts some power back in the hands of these creatives and could usher in a new era of Hollywood copyright ownership, as opposed to the capitalist model studios adhere to today. Their talents and the vision they bring to their stories are becoming more valuable (from the public’s perspective) than the studio conglomerates or production companies attached to their projects, and this can be used by well-known creatives like Coogler to destabilise the previously established hierarchy of studio ownership rights and fight for their products to be released in a way that befits their original voice and vision for them. Whether this will catalyse a new era, or if it is simply a one-off, is up to them now. Coogler has paved the way, so now they just have to follow suit.

It is very exciting- both as an audience member and cinephile- that creatives are starting to respond to the public’s demand for originality with these hard-hitting features. Many have become tired of the Avengers or Fast and Furious films, for example, due to them reusing popular IPs, formulas and storylines in their continuous attempts to maximise profits derived from the box office and streaming. The public yearns for original products delivered meaningfully by filmmakers who revel in what they do. Perhaps Sinners will help studios see that, and help this ever-changing industry veer towards championing the artistic process behind cinema instead of the profits one can derive from it. Ultimately, if all of this inspires just one more filmmaker to stick up for themselves and defend their right to own what they create, it will have been worth it. 

Sinners' leading cast. (Source: IMDB)