Rico Johnson-Sinclair Interview

Rico Johnson-Sinclair

Currently working as Skills and Training Director at Warner Bros. Discovery developing and leading on CrewHQ, a skills and training centre based at the renowned Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, Rico works to develop and nurture ‘below-the-line’ crew and embed inclusion into training and skills from inception.

His last role was as Race Equality Lead for the British Film Institute (BFI), working to bring a critical perspective into conversations about race in the film industry and the intersectionality between class, disability and gender. Rico was also co-director of ARTEF (the Anti-Racist Taskforce for European Film), an organisation that seeks to develop equitable processes across European exhibition and production, with successful events at Cannes, Berlinale and BFI London Film Festival in 2022 and 2023.

From BFI to Warner Bros. Discovery you have some impressive names on your CV already. Did you ever plan this trajectory and can you offer any advice for your younger self wishing to hit these milestones in the film industry?

I never really planned to work in such big companies if I’m honest. Of course I had deep seated ambitions, but my overall ambition was to do as much good as I could in my work with industry and to find freedom and creativity in my writing. I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to try to facilitate change across industry and also be a part of building what’s next.

You hold these positions of relevance and have recently created your own short film, you have more than one role, in fact, you’re incredibly diversified. What’s the most fun way you’ve described your career to someone?

Reluctant producer, writer, always industry body, always advocating for inclusion whether explicitly or implicitly. Or “a small cog in a big machine trying to change the machine or break it down.”

Do you have any hopes or aspirations for the direction of Black queer cinema and art forms in 2025 and the rest of this decade?

More Joy, more Black owned structures to tell stories without the need for buy-in from performative organisations.

You describe yourself online as ‘curious, cute, cautiously optimistic’ – do you still feel cautiously optimistic? If so, what helps you maintain that, if not, what has shaken your world view? 

These days I still hold out hope that what we’re seeing is a more equal society. But this requires organisations to be steadfast in their commitments. We are faced with two possibilities, a period of extreme discomfort that turns into something fundamentally good, or war. I choose to hope and articulate the best of our society while preparing for the worst.

How do you protect yourself when you feel overwhelmed by attacks, either personal or global, on queerness and Blackness? Are you bothered by these? 

I still get really rattled by these. Before Covid, I learnt to thrive and almost resist discrimination, out of spite. But during Covid my body and soul became accustomed to safety against this in lieu of fear for my health. Since Covid has somewhat diminished I’m left with both the fear for my health and less resilience against the world. But I reckon the best form of resistance is to exist unapologetically.

How do you decide what projects to be part of, what do you hope for/look for in a team of creatives? 

I look to work around those that genuinely love film. This isn’t just a job for me. It’s a mission. In this industry, I’ve always been deeply committed to helping build the best industry possible. And that is only because I want our industry to make the best films possible.

Of the different film festivals you’ve programmed for, which one had the best vibe? 

I think Outfest Fusion in LA or Vancouver Queer Film Festival. They both had real film lovers and a dedication to their communities.

Being from Birmingham and setting up CineQ there, how did that impact the start of your career?

It was invaluable. Birmingham is the kind of city that you get to create and test in with very little consequence. People are forgiving, and failure is celebrated as long as it’s paired with learning. It also allowed me to stay connected to film, even when my money making sat firmly outside of it as I often worked a full time job alongside the festival.

You have been part of training schemes e.g. FEDS (Film Exhibition, Distribution & Sales Trainee Scheme) yourself but they have often been thought of as ‘training to nowhere’ for Black creatives. What’s the difference with CrewHQ and the importance of focussing on below-the-line jobs?

I think our education systems love to shout about writers, directors and producers. And our industry loves to spotlight them. Rightly so, but I think the below-the-line talent builds dreams from nothing. And that’s pretty damn magical. CrewHQ takes people with that dream of working in production and offers them a place to belong at no cost to them. A lot of programmes don’t help trainees break into the industry because they’re not connected to production. We’re Warner Bros. Discovery, we’re based at the studio and cover HBO, WBTV and Warner Bros. Discovery features. We couldn’t be more embedded. FEDS for me was so important because it allowed me to see I belonged in the room. It built a self belief in me that wouldn’t have been there otherwise. I hope to do the same with CrewHQ.