Actress-writer Gin Hammond brings Living IncogNegro and develops Returning The Bones at AFM 2025, meeting distributors and producers in Century City.
Award-winning actress and writer Gin Hammond arrives at the 2025 American Film Market (AFM) with two powerful and distinct projects that highlight her range as a storyteller and creative force.
Hammond, known for her transformative performances and genre-blending narratives, is in Century City this week meeting with producers, distributors, and financiers to position her newest works for global audiences.
Her feature, Living IncogNegro, is currently in post-production, marking the screen adaptation of Hammond’s acclaimed theater show. Her second project, a feature adaptation of the Foreword INDIES 2023 Gold Book of the Year Winner Returning The Bones, is in development for production in 2026.
Together, the two titles underscore a creative slate that balances deeply personal storytelling with broad international resonance.
“It’s exhilarating
to bring both stories to AFM”
gin Hammond
“Living IncogNegro is about visibility and belonging—how we navigate identity in a world that often demands definition. Returning The Bones expands that conversation to a global scale, tracing one woman’s search for freedom and truth across continents and generations.”
Living IncogNegro: From Stage Triumph to Cinematic Revelation
What if your physical identity tells one story—but your internal truth is something entirely different? That question fuels Living IncogNegro, the cinematic adaptation of Hammond’s acclaimed stage show exploring the complexities of race, selfhood, and belonging in America.
Filmed before a live audience, the feature captures Hammond’s tour-de-force performance through the lens of Director of Photography Gabe Van Lelyveld and Staging Director Denise Winter, whose collaboration transforms theatrical intimacy into cinematic depth. The result is a hybrid work that bridges art forms while preserving the electricity of live performance.
“We wanted the camera to feel like a character,” Hammond explains. “It’s intimate, almost conspiratorial—you see not just what happens onstage, but what’s happening inside.”
Now in post-production, Living IncogNegro has attracted attention from programmers and boutique distributors seeking bold, socially resonant films. At AFM, Hammond and her team are meeting with sales agents and streaming partners to discuss a distribution strategy ahead of its anticipated 2026 debut.
Industry professionals can learn more at LivingIncogNegro.com.
Returning The Bones: A Journey of Identity, Freedom, and Defiance
Hammond’s second project, Returning The Bones, is an epic period drama based on the Foreword INDIES award-winning novel of the same name. Set in the Jim Crow South and postwar Europe, the story follows Bebe, a brilliant Black medical student who escapes the segregated South to find freedom in Paris. Her search for identity and belonging forces her to confront questions of loyalty, legacy, and survival.
The novel’s richly layered family saga—featuring a psychic mother, a formidable aunt entangled with a white sheriff, a once-enslaved grandmother rumored to descend from Alexander Hamilton, and a Cherokee medicine-woman matriarch—offers a sweeping cinematic canvas.
“Returning The Bones is a coming-of-age story on a global scale,”
Hammond says
“It’s about reclaiming your history while inventing your future.”
Hammond is adapting the screenplay herself, aiming for a visually lush and emotionally resonant feature that combines historical authenticity with modern urgency.
Industry buzz at AFM hints that the project has already caught the attention of high-profile talent. Gin is hoping to get in front of Zendaya and Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another) for development. While no attachments are confirmed, their curiosity has sparked interest among producers and financiers seeking prestige literary adaptations with broad audience appeal.
“There’s a palpable excitement around this story,”
Hammond notes
“It’s inspiring to see actors and producers drawn to a project that blends adventure, intellect, and heart.”
Hammond is currently in meetings with production partners, investors, and global distributors at AFM to assemble the creative team and financing structure for a 2026 production start.
Gin Hammond: A Multi-Hyphenate Storyteller Bridging Art and Impact
A graduate of Harvard University’s American Repertory Theater Institute, Gin Hammond has built a career that seamlessly spans stage, screen, and voice performance. Known for her commanding solo works and boundary-pushing storytelling, Hammond’s artistry has been recognized internationally for its emotional intelligence and social resonance.
“My work always starts with empathy,” Hammond reflects.
“I’m interested in stories that expose what we hide and celebrate what connects us. Whether it’s a one-woman show or a feature film, the goal is the same—to tell the truth beautifully.”
Her projects often fuse theatrical immediacy with cinematic storytelling, creating immersive experiences that explore race, identity, and resilience.
Packed AFM 2025 Schedule
During AFM 2025, Hammond’s calendar is filled with back-to-back meetings with distributors, production companies, and financiers. Her primary focus: finalizing distribution and partnerships for Living IncogNegro and advancing development and packaging for Returning The Bones.
Industry insiders describe her as “one of the most dynamic multi-hyphenates at this year’s market,” with both projects resonating strongly in conversations around inclusion, artistry, and global storytelling.
“AFM is where creative dreams meet business realities,” Hammond says. “Every conversation here is an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and expand the stories we tell.”
About Gin Hammond
Gin Hammond is an award-winning actress, writer, and director whose work spans stage, screen, and voice performance. A Harvard alumna with an MFA from the American Repertory Theater Institute, Hammond is known for her transformative solo performances and her ability to weave personal and historical narratives into powerful cinematic experiences. Her projects explore race, belonging, and the human spirit with depth and humor.
Media Contact
For interviews, screeners, or partnership inquiries:
Press Inquiries: [email protected]
Website: LivingIncogNegro.com
Actress-writer Gin Hammond debuts Living IncogNegro and develops Returning The Bones at AFM 2025, meeting distributors and producers in Century City.
