2026 Voices Heard Film: Strong Friend

Strong Friend by Brandon Champ Robinson
Wisconsin (Wisconsin Premiere)

Running Time: 12 minutes

Drama

September 

Avalon Atmospheric Theater

2473 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207

Randi is the friend everyone leans on, but behind her strength lies a life in ruin—and when no one checks on the strong one, the consequences are devastating.

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Directors Bio:

Brandon Champ Robinson is a writer and filmmaker whose work explores identity, legacy, and emotional survival through a deeply personal lens. Born and raised in Milwaukee, his stories often center Black characters navigating complex realities with honesty, imagination, and vulnerability.

His recent projects include Strong Friend, an intimate short film that reframes the phrase “check on your strong friend” through the story of a grieving Black woman silently unraveling beneath the surface. Rabbit’s Son, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story, blends grounded realism with surreal moments to explore a young boy’s imagination as a tool for survival. And Noodles, a gritty crime drama, follows a naive college student who enters the drug game to bail out her boyfriend—only to become a pawn in a larger street war. The series subverts tropes while exploring power, manipulation, and self-discovery in a world built to break her.

In 2025, Champ was named a Top 100 Finalist in the Tyler Perry Studios Dream Collective, a milestone that affirmed his voice as a rising storyteller. He also worked with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment on a groundbreaking 3D project featuring Billie Eilish, further deepening his technical expertise and visual storytelling craft.

With over a decade of experience across narrative, branded, and documentary content, Champ continues to create intimate, cinematic work that challenges, uplifts, and resonates.

Director's Statement:

I'm just here to make dope films with dope friends.