Strive is a 2019 American independent film. Set in Harlem, the film tells the story of Kalani Johnson, a driven 18-year-old high school student who dreams of getting accepted into Yale University while facing the challenging life in the projects and streets of Harlem - with her only ally being college counselor Mr. Rose. The film premiered at the Harlem International Film Festival in May 2019. In June 2019, it screened in competition at the American Black Film Festival in Miami, the largest African-American film festival of the United States, and won the Jury Award for "Best Screenplay".
Pre-Production for the movie began at Aletheia Films and Prodigium Pictures in early 2017. Strive was shot on location in Harlem later that summer, hiring cast and crew that was mostly New York City-based. The events of the film loosely take place around the housing projects of the Polo Grounds Towers. The namesake for the film is Striver's Row - an area in Harlem that its most wealthy residents moved to. Filming took place in and around both of these locations. Residents and community leaders of Harlem were consulted to the choice of locations and depictions of characters. Danny Glover joined the film in pre-production as "Mr. Rose", a pivotal character for the film. Post production happened in Los Angeles, with Company 3 providing the coloring of the film. Writer Sha-Risse Smith set out to make an inspirational film: "I wish I had a film like this when I was going to boarding school. I want people to watch this and say, if Kalani can do this I can too." Warryn Campbell composed the music for the film. Lead actress JoiStaRR sang the closing song of the film based on Campbell's lyrics.
Reception
The film's trailer was released on Vimeo on 10 June 2019. The trailer was then released on the film's Facebook page on 12 June 2019 and on YouTube on 18 June 2019. As of late September 2019, Strive has been screened theatrically 10 times across the United States, including in New York City, Miami, Cleveland and Los Angeles. However, the film is not currently scheduled to be have a general cinema release. Flickering Myth critic Erika Hardison gave Strive four out of four stars, stating that "Strive isn’t a feel-good film but it’s a real film. It’s relatable to a lot of people who have to pick and choose their loyalties when it comes to family, friends and themselves. Sometimes being selfish is the most selfless thing one can do." Jennie Kermode of Eye for Film rated Strive 3 out of 5 stars, stating "The film is geared to a teenage audience and adult viewers may find it too sentimental in places." That Moment In critic David Duprey rated Strive 4.5/5 stars and designated it as "highly recommend", noting that "what's probably most refreshing is the film's lack of an overpowering message". "Strive" currently holds a 8.8/10 user rating on IMDb.
