ZOLA
Elated about the opportunity to put her Communications Degree to use, Tayler Montague joined the Grassroots Team at A24. She was personally invited to work on the film by the company’s Marketing Department.
The team Montague was apart of had the challenge of trying to get the word out about Janicza Bravo’s Zola, based on the now infamous Twitter thread by Aziah "Zola" King.
The film played at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was headed for theaters that summer. The release of film was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was paramount that the Grassroots Team reignite the excitement for the film.
Montague helped organize screenings with media personalities who could speak to the themes and nuances of Zola’s story. This included having Angela Yee and TS Madison hold screenings and conversations with guests such as Mandii B and Weezy from the podcast Whoreible Decisions discussing sex work, Black womanhood, and the importance of telling our own stories.
The Grassroots Team also worked on the book release of the twitter thread entitled “The Story” by A’ziah “Zola” King. This included sending out PR boxes to social media influencers.
Despite the challenges surrounding its initial release, Zola broke even at the box office. The film also won two Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Montague’s many tasks included:
Working with the Cashmere Agency to coordinate a press tour for the central cast and director. Including features in The Cut, Rolling Stone, Essence Magazine and Vogue. As well as targeting outlets that would allow us to reach Black audiences that skew a bit older and may have not been on Twitter at the time of the thread. Such as The Breakfast Club, The Tamron Hall Show, and Sway’s Universe.
Montague at a screening with Njera Perkins, cultural writer. One of the many journalists and social media influencers invited to discuss and tweet about the film. Helping to refresh the conversation on the platform where it all begin. 