HuffPost

With ‘FreeLance,’ These Filmmakers Want To Break The Stigma For Creators On The Come-Up

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by

Njera Perkins

01.26.26

When sibling filmmakers Justen and Julien Turner sent in their comedy pilot “FreeLance” for consideration at the Sundance Film Festival last year, the duo thought they had everything in order. Everything except one crucial detail.

“It’s a funny story,” Justen told HuffPost. “When we submitted, we didn’t have any of our personal or contact information on the submission.”

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When NFL Defensive End Jalyn Holmes was a player for the New York Jets, there was a bulletin board outside the locker room touting different off-season programs and activities for the players. Holmes, a film lover and keen photographer — he’d recently been gifted a camera by a teammate in a Secret Santa — had his interest piqued by a bulletin for a film and TV training program called the NFL Career Tour in Los Angeles, which introduces players to filmmaking, acting, and how to navigate the business. It’s a rapid talent incubator, rather than a project incubator.

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Sundance Interview: Deon Taylor & NFL Player Jalyn Holmes On The Journey From Filmmaking Bootcamp To Park City With Comedy Pilot ‘FreeLance’

When NFL Defensive End Jalyn Holmes was a player for the New York Jets, there was a bulletin board outside the locker room touting different off-season programs and activities for the players. Holmes, a film lover and keen photographer — he’d recently been gifted a camera by a teammate in a Secret Santa — had his interest piqued by a bulletin for a film and TV training program called the NFL Career Tour in Los Angeles, which introduces players to filmmaking, acting, and how to navigate the business. It’s a rapid talent incubator, rather than a project incubator.