Memphis native Julia Griggs is bringing her award-winning documentary, “Brannu: The Urban Horseman,” home for a special screening at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
The event, scheduled from 3-8 p.m , follows the film’s growing national acclaim, including earning Best Local Documentary Feature at the 2026 ATL Doc Festival. Produced through Griggs’ Kingdom Stride Productions, the documentary explores Black horsemanship, land ownership, displacement and community resilience through the story of Brandon “Brannu” Fulton.
Directed by Adelin Gasana, the film takes a deeper look at Fulton’s life after animal cruelty charges filed against him in 2016 were later dropped. What began as the image of a Black horseman riding through Atlanta quickly unfolded into a larger story about ownership, identity, and the fight to preserve community amid rapid development.
For Griggs, the story immediately felt bigger than a traditional news segment.
“I first saw Brannu riding his horse on the Atlanta Beltline in 2022 and thought it would make a great news piece,” Griggs said. “But the more I learned, the more questions I had. I wanted to understand who he really was, what his vision was for the land he purchased, and what happened after everything changed.”
That curiosity eventually evolved into Griggs’ first feature-length documentary — a project she says was created with intentionality, care and a commitment to telling Fulton’s story with depth and authenticity.
With a journalism career that includes writing for The Tri-State Defender and producing for major national news outlets such as CBS and CNN, Griggs says storytelling remains at the center of her work.
“I don’t see myself as just a filmmaker — I’m a storyteller,” she said. “My passion for storytelling has been shaped by my work as a news producer, where I’ve covered a wide range of national and international stories. That experience deepened my understanding of how media shapes public perception and drives conversations.”
The film also taps into larger national conversations surrounding Black land ownership and community preservation amid growing development pressures.
“Brannu’s story puts a face on what gets lost when we prioritize profit over people,” Griggs said. “It asks the hard question: Who gets to stay when land becomes valuable?”
For Griggs, bringing the documentary back to Memphis is especially meaningful.
“Memphis is a part of my foundation,” she said. “It’s where I started my early career in local news, radio, and had the opportunity to write for the Tri-State Defender. To now return home with an award-winning documentary feels incredibly special.”
She added that the screening is about more than the film itself.
“It’s about honoring where I came from and showing what’s possible when you trust God and stay grounded in faith and purpose,” Griggs said.
Above all, Griggs hopes audiences leave inspired by Fulton’s resilience and challenged to think critically about equity, opportunity and community.
“At its core, this film isn’t just about one man,” she said. “It’s about the right to protect, build and thrive without barriers.”
For more information, visit Brannu.co.
