TV/Film Star Richard Lawson and Producer Denee Busby Set to Lead Groundbreaking Masterclass on Vertical Filmmaking at The Cannes Film Festival

Acclaimed TV and film actor, educator, and visionary Richard Lawson will take center stage at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival to present a specialty masterclass on vertical filmmaking. Lawson will be joined by his partner, industry strategist, and producer Denee Busby. Lawson and Busby are official presenters for "Masterclass: Vertical Film Making and Writing- From Idea to Monetizable Series" taking place on May 20th at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the programming for Pavilion AfroNova.

Hyperlens Studios is officially presenting this specialty masterclass. Attendees will gain immersive, real-world insights into the landscape of multimedia production using this progressive method of content creation. Through this presentation at the Cannes Film Festival, this masterclass will convey that the future of film making has already arrived.

Lawson and Busby are excited to present a dynamic masterclass on the significance of vertical filmmaking as a powerful new language—one that resonates with content producers while maintaining the highest standards of cinematic excellence.  This masterclass is open to filmmakers, actors, writers, producers, entrepreneurs, and content creators at all levels, designed for those ready to embrace change and champion innovation through new methods of storytelling in the digital landscape. 

About Richard Lawson 

Richard Lawson is currently starring in Netflix's #1 series, "Beauty In Black," which has garnered over 10 billion views globally. He is a celebrated television and film actor, with notable film work in Steven Spielberg’s “Poltergeist,” “Scream Blacula Scream,” “Black Fist” (originally titled “Bogard”), “Sugar Hill,” “Streets of Fire,” “Stick,” “The Main Event,” “Coming Home,” “Audrey Rose,” “Wag The Dog,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Guess Who,” and “For Colored Girls,” featuring Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton, and Kerry Washington. Currently, he is a series regular on "Divorce in the Black" (#1 globally on Amazon Prime) and "Beauty in Black" (also #1 globally on Netflix), a sixteen-episode Tyler Perry series currently in its second season, in addition to his roles in "The Black Hamptons" and "The Ms Pat Show" on BET+. His television credits range from "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd," "Dynasty," "Chicago Story," "MacGyver," "Parenthood," "St. Elsewhere," "Judging Amy," "NYPD Blue," to "Real Husbands of Hollywood." Additionally, he created the role of Lucas Barnes on the soap opera "All My Children," for which he received a nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series. Upcoming projects include Roc Nation’s "Aftershock: The Nicole Bell Story."

About Denee Busby

Denee Busby is a prominent producer, showrunner, and capital strategist in the entertainment industry. She is a key figure in the evolving micro-drama space, actively working as both a producer and distributor. Denee served as the showrunner for the series "Legacy" on BET and has produced various other projects, including "Angel" (BET), "Lot Patrol" (BET), and the feature film "The Stray House," delivering culturally resonant content. Her partnerships span major networks and leading vertical platforms, positioning her at the forefront of next-generation storytelling. She also maintains a direct vendor partnership with Tubi, expanding distribution channels and creating scalable opportunities for diverse content to reach global audiences. 

About Hyperlens Studios 

Hyperlens Studios represents dynamic innovation and vertical cinematic mastery. Hyperlens Technology bridges the gap between creative concepts and artistic content creation using state of-the-art methods of digital creation to reach audiences across America, Africa, and the global landscape.

About Masterclass Schedule For more information on this specialty masterclass, please visit:

Hyperlens Studios and Pavilion AfroNova.