Faith, Family and Film: Victoria Monai Richards Makes Directorial Debut

The young filmmaker co-wrote, directed and stars in "Search Party: Where's PawPaw?", a new family comedy featuring Tichina Arnold and Tommy Davidson. Behind the movie is a mother, a daughter and a decision to build the kind of Hollywood they wanted to see.

By Rebecca Johnson // EEW Magazine Online

Tichina Arnold, left, Victoria Monai Richards, center, and Tommy Davidson star in Search Party: Where’s PawPaw?, a PG-rated family comedy directed and co-written by Richards. The film opens in theaters Nov. 13, 2026. (EEW Magazine graphic)

At 22, Victoria Monai Richards directed her first feature film, starred in it and co-wrote it with her mother.

Search Party: Where’s PawPaw? is an early 2000s-inspired, PG-rated comedy that arrives in theaters Nov. 13. The film marks Richards’ feature directorial debut.

Richards stars alongside veteran entertainers Tichina Arnold and Tommy Davidson, with Nijah Brenea and Daisy Fernandez rounding out the principal cast. The independent feature comes from Faith+Works Productions, the family-run company Richards founded with her mother, Sherrie Richards.

 Photo Credit: Paul Smith Photography via IMDB

Sherrie spent 22 years in finance and rose to managing director of sales and trading at Wells Fargo Securities. She left the industry in 2022, believing she was being called to a higher purpose in filmmaking.

According to the film’s official website, part of that decision was rooted in a desire to ensure that her daughter Victoria would not have to compromise her Christian values to pursue the work she loved.

Faith+Works Productions grew from that decision. The mother-daughter company describes its mission as creating joyful, family-centered stories “told with faith, heart, and originality,” with films designed to bring families together.

Photo courtesy of Faith+Works Productions

As the company took shape, Victoria, who already had professional acting experience, stepped behind the camera. Her credits included a recurring role as Treasure on Issa Rae’s HBO comedy series Rap Sh!t, where she appeared in five episodes in 2022.

Directing Search Party put far more on Victoria’s shoulders. She also stars as Noble Williams, a college student who rushes home after learning that her grandfather’s health has taken a sudden turn for the worse.

Noble arrives with her two best friends and soon learns that PawPaw, played by Tommy Davidson, has disappeared from his nursing home. What follows is an increasingly absurd search involving cryptic clues, eccentric characters and Noble’s chaotic Aunt MeekMeek, played by Tichina Arnold.

Photo courtesy of Faith+Works Productions

ComingSoon, which exclusively debuted the trailer Sept. 17, described the film as a mix of slapstick comedy, heartfelt moments and chaos.

Richards said she was aiming to recapture a nostalgic style of family comedy. “I wanted to make the kind of comedy I grew up loving, something genuinely funny, colorful, and ridiculous that the whole family can enjoy together,” she said in a statement released with the trailer. “My hope is that audiences leave the theater laughing, quoting their favorite moments, and making memories with the people they love.”

Richards recalls stepping into the director’s chair at 22 without having mastered every piece of technical filmmaking language. She had preparation, a clear vision, an experienced crew and confidence that God had placed her there.

“If He positioned me here, He’d equip me to lead,” she said.

Richards has said she was 19 when she landed a role on HBO’s Rap Sh!t. She grew close to two other young women on the production, and during a comedic scene, a director remarked that the trio needed a show of their own.

According to Richards, the three newcomers were later left off the invitation list for the show’s premiere. The disappointment became creative fuel.

“This industry won’t always hand you a seat,” she recalled. “Sometimes, you build your own table.”

Photo courtesy of Faith+Works Productions

Victoria and her mother, Sherrie, began writing, drawing inspiration from Victoria’s friendship and chemistry with the two young women she had worked with on Rap Sh!t. That dynamic helped shape the three friends at the center of Search Party, with Victoria starring opposite Nijah Brenea and Daisy Fernandez as they race to find PawPaw before time runs out.

Tichina Arnold’s comedy résumé includes Martin, Everybody Hates Chris and The Neighborhood. Tommy Davidson is known for In Living Color, The Proud Family and decades of stand-up comedy.

Photo courtesy of Faith+Works Productions

Sherrie and Victoria share story and screenplay credits. The film’s official credits list Joseph Harold, Joel Harold and Grant Gilmore as producers, with Sherrie Richards, King Hoey and Arnold serving as executive producers.

Faith+Works describes its mission as making films “for family, by family.” Victoria has described comedy as healing and transformative, a way to give people space to laugh and escape together. As she introduces new faces to the screen, she is hoping to bring families together and spread joy.

“That’s what Christ does for us,” she said, “and that’s what we hope this film reflects.”

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