Inspired Iowa filmmaking ambassadors take 'Negro Artist' documentary to Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit — and more

(From left) Spoken-word artist Caleb Rainey, filmmaker Nik Heftman and producer Douglas Burns.

As the credits rolled on Iowa filmmaker Nik Heftman's documentary in the iconic Regal LA Live theater in downtown Los Angeles audience members stopped to chat, congratulate the star, spoken-word artist Caleb Rainey. They'd never met Rainey, and they were moved.

Many of the moviegoers at the Culver City Film Festival, which showed Heftman's film, "The Negro Artist," had tears running down their faces, such was the impact of the art before them.

Rainey's brilliance, the reach of his language, his inclusive charisma, won over the West Coast independent film crowd on this Saturday in mid December.

I saw it first hand. I sat with Rainey (who performs under the name The Negro Artist) and Heftman in the front of the theater for the showing of the film — for which I have had the privilege of functioning as an executive producer as we road show it.

We'd only run the film in Iowa to this point -- Okoboji (Julie Gammack’s Okoboji Writers’ & Songwriters’ Retreat) and Iowa City and Des Moines and Jefferson — so we were eager to see how it traveled, how it hit the West Coast, Los Angeles, where Nik, an Iowa State University alum and member of that school's journalism board, has deep roots. Moments into the film, I knew Nik and Caleb had the audience.

"The Negro Artist" chronicles Rainey's development as an artist and resilience as a human being though his Columbia, Missouri youth to years at the University of Iowa to what is now a national profile as a spoken-word artist, one of the breakout stars of this state, and at age 30, someone you will hear far, far more from in coming decades.

Here's what I've seen with Caleb Rainey: other artists can get you to believe in them. Rainey is able to summon the best from his audience, and get us to believe in ourselves. There's a big difference.

Please consider making a TAX—DEDUCTIBLE donation through Heftman’s fiscal sponsor, Creative Visions. All proceeds will go toward securing more screenings of “The Negro Artist,” getting the film in theaters in Iowa, the Midwest and beyond.

Nik and I are chosen family. We have worked together for years, since his stint as a journalist at our family's former newspaper, The Carroll Daily Times Herald, and we've stayed close through his days at CBS Mornings and now on his journey with The Seven Times, his own production company, which blends his entrepreneurial instincts, writing and directing talent, and one of Nik's greatest strengths — the eye and reason and open-mindedness and fearlessness of a journalist in 2025 America.

What also hit me in Los Angeles: we were proud Midwesterners with an Iowa film. In our block of films, we cheered as an Oklahoma filmmaker's exceptional film, "The Sweet Side Of Crazy," hit the screen.

Here is how Nik described that film:

“The short documentary followed an Oklahoma family as they mourned a relative whose life was consumed and cut short by addiction. So many people can relate to this family’s story. The film stuck with me and my friends for hours after seeing it. Doug and I also felt a sense of pride seeing the middle of America represented. I had the chance to share my thoughts with the director and producer Kaylee Hoy.”

— Nik Heftman on “The Sweet Side Of Crazy”

“Negro Artist” director Nik Heftman speaks with “The Sweet Side Of Crazy” producer and director Kaylee Hoy at The Culver City Film Festival. (Photo By Douglas Burns)

I'm over-the-moon thrilled that Nik and Caleb are representing Iowa nationally with a film that spotlights the best of Iowa.

Several members of Nik's family attended the film, and Caleb's father, George Rainey of Columbia, Missouri, made the LA trip, too — which was great for me, as George and I are both 55 years old. I needed some Generation X back-up at our post-showing lunch at the Yard House. Caleb may have written a poem in high school to impress a potential girlfriend, but he didn't have to deal with using an old rotary dial phone to ask a young lady out for a date as we did in the 1980s — the anxiety building with each spin of a number. George and I had a few lessons (or tired stories) for the young artists.

On our final night the festival, I knew Nik had made an impression. We'd had two meetings about funding and distribution, and other filmmakers and producers knew about "The Negro Artist." Nik and I talked to many artists that night before heading back to our Airbnb condo on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, not from City Hall and the fantastic Grand Central Market.

In front of Los Angeles City Hall, getting into the groove at the Grand Central Market and a view of the LA downtown public library.

I went up to the roof our our building each morning to take in the view -- and I got to know several residents, so much so that they'd greet by name when they'd see me in the front of the complex or the lobby.

I spent one of my last mornings in LA driving and walking through homeless areas with a director/producer who is working on films in that space, and she showed me an inside look at the devastation experienced by unhoused people.

I'm the long-time vice president of the Carroll Library Foundation, and eagerly went to the downtown Los Angeles Public Library. I'm aware that libraries in many cities have become de facto homeless shelters, and sadly, that is the case in LA. Nik and I left the library with much sadness after seeing people in economic and mental-health desperation. I hope to be involved with some films that deal with these issues, and was moved to listen to Julie Gammack's amazing interview with Joe Stevens, co-founder of Joppa, on homelessness and Des Moines and some remarkable efforts to reduce it.

Where To See “The Negro Artist” film:

Des Moines, IA
xBk Live

Friday, January 10, 2025 • 7:00 PM

Lake Forest, IL
John & Nancy Hughes Theatre

Friday, January 17, 2025 • 6:30 PM

Detroit, MI
Detroit Public Library

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 • 6:00 PM

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(Douglas Burns, founder of The Iowa Mercury and a fourth-generation Iowa journalist from Carroll, is a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Read dozens of the most talented writers in Iowa in just one place. The Iowa Writers' Collaborative spans the full state. It’s one of the biggest things going in Iowa journalism and writing now — and you don’t want to miss. This collaborative is — as the outstanding Quad Cities journalist Ed Tibbetts says — YOUR SUNDAY IOWA newspaper. )