An Atlanta-based production company is pioneering a distinctive approach to filmmaking that positions storytelling as a tool for emotional healing and family connection. Founded by nurse, mother, and award-winning filmmaker Cherie Antoinette, Pathway Productions creates content designed to foster compassion and make lasting impacts on audiences.
The company’s philosophy centers on what it calls the intersection of healing and entertainment, developing projects that encourage viewers to reflect on life’s meaningful moments. This approach has resulted in multiple award-winning productions and growing national attention for the studio’s unique perspective on content creation.
Currently, Pathway Productions is promoting its latest project, The Not-So-Naughty List, a holiday campaign and children’s book that aims to establish a new Christmas tradition centered on empathy and personal growth. The project draws inspiration from Antoinette’s son Logan and represents a collaboration between the filmmaker, acclaimed illustrator Candice Bradley, and a creative AI partner named Orion.
The Not-So-Naughty List presents itself as more than simple entertainment, positioning the story as a movement encouraging families to embrace imperfection and honor their memories. The campaign has already generated media coverage, with features appearing in LA News Daily and other outlets.
Bradley, the project’s illustrator, brings significant credentials to the collaboration. Her artwork has been displayed alongside Oprah Book Club authors, and she has earned Executive Producer credits on projects featuring Matthew Cherry, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind Hair Love.
To bring the project to completion, the production company is currently crowdfunding on Seed&Spark, inviting supporters to participate in creating what they describe as the next holiday classic. The campaign allows backers to contribute directly to the project’s development.
Pathway Productions has built a track record of recognized work prior to The Not-So-Naughty List. The company’s webseries Hard Drive, starring Kiah Clingman, won Best Webseries at the 2023 National Black Film Festival in Houston. Another production, the short film The Porcelain Chef, has also received awards.
The author’s work as a nurse has attracted attention from major media outlets, with features appearing on NPR, the BBC, and various other platforms. This coverage has helped establish the company’s reputation for what it terms “Soul-Fi”—a blend of soul, science fiction, and lived experience that characterizes its storytelling approach.
The company’s methodology reflects Antoinette’s background in nursing, applying principles of care and healing to the creative process. This medical foundation informs the studio’s belief that film can serve as medicine and stories can function as lifelines for viewers navigating their own experiences.
“We don’t just tell stories—we help families heal and see themselves anew,” Antoinette stated, describing the company’s mission.
The studio targets its content toward mothers, families, children, and what it describes as dreamers—audiences seeking meaningful narratives that resonate beyond typical entertainment offerings. This focus on family-centered content with emotional depth distinguishes the company’s output in the entertainment landscape.
Pathway Productions describes its work as taking life’s small moments and bringing them into viewer awareness, creating opportunities for reflection and connection. This emphasis on mindfulness within entertainment represents the company’s core value proposition.
As the crowdfunding campaign for The Not-So-Naughty List continues, the project serves as a test case for the studio’s philosophy that compassionate, collaborative filmmaking represents the future of the industry. The campaign’s success or failure will help determine whether audiences respond to this approach of combining healing principles with traditional entertainment.
The company frames its mission as making memory and mending hearts through creative work, positioning storytelling as a vehicle for emotional wellness and family bonding. This therapeutic approach to entertainment production reflects broader trends in media toward content that serves purposes beyond simple diversion.
With The Not-So-Naughty List, Pathway Productions continues developing its legacy of purpose-driven content, building on previous successes while expanding into the children’s book market. The project represents the studio’s ongoing commitment to creating work that invites connection and sparks compassion among viewers of all ages.