Essence Film Fest 2025 Exclusive: Writer-Director Rickey Larke talks Short Film ‘The Black Bart of Taco King #17’
Among the projects that played at the 2025 Essence Film Festival was the short film ‘The Black Bart of Taco King #17,’ written, produced and directed by Rickey Larke. Co-Produced by Preston Purchase, the cast includes Jasmine Matthews, Christopher Dietrick, and Derrick A. King.
At a seedy bar, a smooth-talking thief scouts for a partner in crime. When he meets a mysterious woman, their dinner date reveals she might be more than he bargained for.
Most recently, Rickey Larke joined the writers' room of Steph Curry's mockumentary Peacock series MR. THROWBACK (Season One) as a Supervising Producer, and was a Producer on GROWN-ISH (Season Six) and Story Editor on KENAN (Season Two).
Rickey's first written/directed short film, TINDERBOX, was selected and screened at over twenty film festivals in '20 and '21. Including multiple Nominee and Finalist selections at such festivals as Kino London Short Film Festival, Austin Comedy Film Festival and Seattle Film Festival.
What inspired the story?
Rickey Larke: What inspired the story is being raised by a strong sister, a strong mother, a strong grandmother and trying to make a story about a black woman who never bends the knee, who never apologizes and ends up with a bag in her hand.
How long was the process of making it short?
Rickey Larke: The process was about a year long. We started at the end of 2023, when the TV strikes were happening and we finished sometime last year with an amazing crew and cast. It was mostly women and mostly people of color working on the entire project.
What was the biggest hurdle? Was it the editing or finance?
Rickey Larke: A lot of people, we self-financed. I was ready to go. We had our editor from day one. Our biggest hurdle was everyone telling us to wait, telling us you can get more money if you do this. If you get more, you can do that. That was our biggest thing.
Where do you take the film next?
Rickey Larke: Next, we're hoping to show maybe at Martha's Vineyard, but we're going to be hitting as many festivals as we can this year.
