Despite accumulating seven degrees, including credentials in accounting, finance, theater, film production, and multiple certifications, Hollywood's gatekeepers still didn’t give film producer and director, Anthony R. Page, a chance.
"There were still people in the industry looking at me like I'm not enough," Anthony reflects, speaking of the years he spent chasing external validation. "And I'm like, damn, you barely got out of high school, and [you’re] looking at me like I'm not enough?"
It was a moment that crystallized a hard truth for him: there was likely no amount of degrees that would open the doors to the opportunities he wanted most.
The Validation Trap
Anthony’s journey to this realization began in a small industrial town in South Carolina, where creative dreams seemed as distant as Hollywood itself. He stood out as the family's academic achiever, but felt different in ways that shaped his drive for external validation. "Part of me wanting to be an actor, I think it was a little bit more about insecurity," he admits candidly. "It was almost like, if I'm rich and famous, maybe I'll get a certain kind of validation."
After military service opened his eyes to the possibilities of higher education, he threw himself into academia with the same intensity that would later define his entrepreneurial journey. While on reserve, he enrolled at Georgia State University, where he completed a dual degree program with a double major in each, taking accounting and finance in the business school, alongside theater and film production in the arts department.
But even with this impressive foundation, he found himself caught in ongoing attempts to prove his worth to an industry that seemed perpetually unimpressed. "I kept getting all this education thinking it would make the difference," he explains. "Then I woke up and said, you know what? This system wasn't designed for me. It's never going to work for me."
The Entrepreneurial Awakening
The turning point came in 2008 when Anthony left his steady job as Director of Marketing and Special Projects at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum in Augusta, Georgia. Despite having the predictability of a steady salary, he felt creatively stifled and feared reaching his next birthday with regrets about paths not taken. "I just said, you know what, I'm tired because the job required so much time," he says. "I jumped out there with no plan.”
The transition from employee to entrepreneur proved more challenging than expected. "The biggest shift was the psychology of being an entrepreneur," he explains. "You can put in the same amount of hours in your business, and it doesn't necessarily lead to a check."
Those first six months were brutal. He had to completely rewire his thinking, learning to prioritize revenue-generating activities and manage the cycles of independent work. He survived by diversifying his skill set with graphic design, video editing, photography, and pitch deck design—essentially becoming a one-person production company out of necessity. "The reason I learned all those skills and can run a film production from start to finish on my own was out of necessity," he notes. "I didn't have it, so I figured out a way to make it happen."
Finding Purpose in Storytelling
Anthony had an unexpected breakthrough under a grant that partnered him with schools in the community. Tasked with creating theater for kids who had no interest in Shakespeare or August Wilson, Anthony initially struggled. But when he sat down to listen to their stories, something shifted.
"I created a series of monologues and short scenes based on their lives," he recalls. "It was one of the most profound theater experiences I've had, and in my spirit, God was like, that's it." This experience birthed what he calls "testimonial type theater,” stories grounded in real human experience and struggle. It became the foundation for his Blue Series of short plays and ultimately shaped his approach to all storytelling.
"Those kids who had no theater experience and had all kinds of behavioral issues, they smashed it," he remembers. "They were eager to tell their stories. They were eager for somebody to hear them."
Building the Dream & Controlling the Narrative
Now that he’s shifted from seeking opportunities to creating his own, Anthony has the sense of self that comes from truly seeing yourself and owning your story. “Control your narrative,” he says with confidence when reflecting on what he’d tell his younger self.
This perspective has freed him to make decisions based on authentic self-awareness rather than others' opinions. "When I'd be in the theater world, I’d get, ‘Oh, you're a film guy.’ When I'd be in the film world, it’d be, ‘Oh, you're a theater guy,’ Anthony recounts about his experiences being othered, mislabeled, and misunderstood. “I'm both, and I can thrive in both. I'm award winning in both areas.”
Today, Anthony channels his production, marketing, and storytelling skills into the Alma Film Festival, which debuts on March 17–22, 2026, in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. It’s a powerful project that represents everything he's learned about creating opportunities rather than waiting for them.
The festival is also an extension of his belief that storytelling is a tool for advocacy and community building that can drive real social and economic change. "It's advocacy, it's community, it’s all of the things that are important to me," he explains.
Anthony’s story is a powerful reminder that the most valuable validation is the one you give yourself, and his journey shows us what’s possible when we shift from seeking permission to taking action. For creative professionals and entrepreneurs pursuing their dreams - the world needs what you have to offer. But first, you have to believe it yourself, trust your abilities, and build the opportunities you're waiting for.
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