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Qasim-Basir-&-Nia-Long-Urbanworld

By Anslem Samuel | Published February 9, 2011 | Full size is 500 × 320 pixels

Basir with actress Nia Long at the 2010 Urbanworld Film Festival (Press) PUT THE FILM BEFORE FAME: Being in the movie business comes with many accolades and perks, but, as an artist, Basir doesn’t concern himself with that. He warns young filmmakers that the process of making a movie is not easy but getting caught up in Hollywood’s flashing lights is. “There are so many people that I run into in my journey who are fascinated by the idea of fame, recognition, red carpets, the paparazzi and all that, which to me is not important at all,” he says. “So along the way they get discouraged like, ‘Aw, man, I want to be famous…’ There’s no real substance behind that so being that [this business] is as difficult as it is, I believe that you have to have something going in this thing with substance.”

Basir with actress Nia Long at the 2010 Urbanworld Film Festival (Press) PUT…