Meagan Good, Tamara Bass talk Black sisterhood in their powerful new film 'If Not Now, When?'

Longtime friends Meagan Good and Tamara Bass have teamed up to make their feature directorial debut together in the film "If Not Now, When?," a movie they both star in and Bass also wrote.

"It's a really powerful story that explores themes that for some reason we as women don't get explored in films," Good said.

The movie follows four childhood friends -- played by Good, Bass, Mekia Cox and Meagan Holder -- who are reunited after one of them suffers a crisis. Each of them works to resolve their own conflicts, whether it be struggles with addiction, family life or a failing marriage, but it's the power of their sisterhood that eventually carries them through life's obstacles.

Bass said she wrote this film as a love letter to her friends, who have always been there to support her. But most importantly, she wrote this film for women, and for Black women in particular who may not always see their experiences represented on screen.

"I wanted Black women to see that I see you. And I see you in a way that maybe Hollywood hasn't always been kind to -- showing that we're these complex, nuanced individuals," Bass said.

Good said this was the perfect film for her to make her directorial debut, because it embodies the exact kind of film she's always dreamed of making.

"I want to do films that inspire people, that impact people, that encourage people and paint the way that they see the world," Good said.

Good set out to make a film that impacts young women of color as much as the movies "Waiting to Exhale" (1995) and "Set it Off" (1996) influenced her when she was younger.

While releasing her film amid a pandemic was unplanned, Bass expressed gratitude at the timing: "We have an opportunity for more people to see the movie and even start different dialogues."

Audiences can expect to go on a rollercoaster of emotions while watching, but at the end of the movie, Bass wants to leave viewers with a sense of hope.

"No matter what obstacle is thrown your way, things will turn around," Bass said. "At least we end the movie on a happy note. We might make you cry to get there, but we end it on a happy note!"

"If Not Now, When?" will be available on demand and digital beginning Jan. 8, 2021.