When filmmaker TJ Chester graduated from Roosevelt High School, she knew she wanted to change how people looked at Gary.
And for her, that was through a camera and a movie-maker clapperboard.
“We have so many different creatives here in Gary, and none of us are being recognized for what we’re trying to do in the city and for the city,” Chester said. A 2024 study released by USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found women of color in director roles increased from 3.4% in 2023 to 5.3% in 2024.
Her company, The New Black Entertainment, was founded in 2015. As a Black woman-owned film and television production company in Gary, she has worked to amplify Black voices and showcase new faces from the city.
“I want to transform and reimagine the narrative and scope of Black storytelling and entrepreneurship in the entertainment industry right here in my city,” she said. With no capital, industry connections, or shortcuts, she wants to bring Gary into the limelight.
A lover of writing and storytelling, she knew from a young age that she wanted to tell people’s stories.
The Roosevelt High School graduate left at 17 to find her own way. After earning a master’s degree in creative writing, she threw herself into the field.
“Mom always used to say: If you want something, then you need to get out here and do it yourself,” she said.
While she had the opportunity to travel extensively, she ultimately ended up in Atlanta to gain film industry experience. During her several years there, she worked on film and television sets, learning everything from directing to writing episodes. She knew how to be a one-woman moving machine behind the camera for her future projects that she’d already written in her dreams.
As she learned the industry, she realized that her work consistently reflected her roots.
“The projects that I created brought me back to Gary,” she said. “In order to be a really good writer, you have to write what you know, and I knew Gary.”
Her scripts always centered on her hometown. Unable to recreate the environment anywhere else, she decided to return home to continue her work.
However, it hasn’t been an easy journey coming back home and reviving her craft in the city.
“For decades, Gary has been overlooked, and I feel like I threaten the very system that’s comfortable with things staying the same,” she said with a bit of emotion. “They’re used to what’s going on; they’re not used to movies and television series being filmed right here in their communities.”
Those roadblocks, she said, won’t stop her. If anything, it makes her want to show exactly what she can do.
“I feel like I just need to prove myself,” she stated with an air of determination. “I need to get these projects out there and get them on platforms where people in Gary can actually see and believe that this is really happening.”
With her passion for filmmaking, she knows she’s not stopping until it’s all done.
“I live and breathe stories,” she said.
And now she brings her first project to the area: 219 — The Series. According to her social media post released earlier this summer, describing the project, “Detective Grace Tracy isn’t just chasing down leads — she’s chasing something deeper. As the bodies stack up in Gary, Indiana, she’s on a mission for truth, justice, and a reckoning long overdue.”
As her first project, she’s excited to share this and showcase her skills behind the camera.
“I’m not going to be like others that come out of Gary and become famous,” she said. “I’m committed to my city and the work that I am doing that can hopefully grow right here.”
Although she doesn’t have a dedicated crew, she has friends who support her mission, like Thomas Lane.
Lane, the co-owner of a production company called Indie Indiana, is no stranger to the production world and what it takes to get everything up and running, especially in a place like Gary.
A friend of TJ’s husband, Darrell, Lane has always kept their door open to Chester, especially when she had to film a project in his Hobart home. Members of the same military unit, it was a no-brainer to allow her into their space.
“You get a bond in the military, and that just went right to TJ,” he said.
Having grown up in the area, he’s accustomed to the perception people have of Gary, but he’s hopeful about what TJ is doing to change that.
“Gary is actually pretty cool; there’s just no money,” Lane said. “But TJ has a possibility of changing that. With her talent, determination, and drive, she can change what people see about the city.”
Watching the background that many don’t see, he’s seen the work that’s being put in to bring a show to Gary, for Gary people, by the people that it’s for.
“She’s got a show that’s bringing in people from Gary to participate in a TV show about Gary. She’s not bringing in people who are going to steal from the city,” he said confidently.
As an arts enthusiast himself, he understands the importance of revitalizing art in the local community and region.
Chester hopes her work can do the same.
“I think what would elevate the arts is for more people to come together and support each other instead of trying to tear each other down,” she said, reflecting on her journey to now.
After the dust settles and she finds her place in the community, she hopes to be a beacon of light for others who aspire to reach her level.
“I’m going to show people how to support, especially Black women. I want to be able to help,” she said.
More information about her projects and what’s next can be found at thenewblackent.com.
An earlier version of the story misstated the surname of TJ Chester’s friend. He is Thomas Lane, not Thomas Lee.
