André Holland Talks Difficulties of Getting ‘Love, Brooklyn’ Made (Exclusive)

André Holland is bringing his passion to the silver screen — and behind it too.

The actor, 45, stars in the simmering romance-drama Love, Brooklyn, which follows three longtime Brooklynites as they navigate careers, love, loss and friendship against the rapidly shifting landscape of their beloved city. Holland is also a producer through his production company Harper Road.

During a conversation with PEOPLE at a Rooftop Films screening of the movie in Brooklyn, he mentions that he faced challenges getting the film to audiences nationwide.

“This is the first time my production company, Harper Road, really put this thing together alongside other partners as well,” he says. “We really were in the trenches on it. It was difficult — like, beyond difficult.” 

Love, Brooklyn premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year before a deal was struck with Greenwich Entertainment for the North American rights. Holland says “a number of people” told him audiences just wouldn’t show up for it. 

“The number of conversations that we had as we were trying to find distribution and trying to market the movie… there were a number of people who said, ‘We don’t think that there’s an audience for this kind of movie.’ But I know that there is,” he says.

Alongside Holland, who plays conflicted journalist Roger, are Nicole Beharie and DeWanda Wise, who play discouraged art gallery owner Casey and recently widowed mother Nicole, respectively.

While the trio are knee-deep in a twisty love triangle for most of the film, off-screen the three talents have a history as friends in the New York acting scene.

“Nicole went to Julliard while I was at NYU. I used to go see her shows and [the] first thing I saw her [in], I was like, ‘Oh, she is dope,’ ” Holland recalls. “Then she would come and see our shows, so we became friends that way. DeWanda went to NYU, so I knew her from the theater scene, just seeing her work. All three [of us] had been wanting to work together, but we just never had a chance. This movie was an opportunity for us to get together.”

That friendship comes through onscreen and behind-the-scenes as well. During his opening remarks at the screening, Holland joked that they had “$5 to make this film” so he turned to his community for help.

“The restaurants, the cafés, the houses that we are shooting in, basically all of our locations are friends of mine’s places that were willing to let us come in and shoot,” he says. “Everybody you see in the movie are friends of mine. Everybody showed up. At the end of the day, it was like a community project. We all came together to make it happen. I think that’s what I’m most proud of.”

Holland, who rose to prominence as Kevin in the Oscar-winning drama Moonlight, starred alongside Gemma Chan in the crime mystery The Actor and enjoyed the premiere of the film adaptation of Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman at the South by Southwest festival earlier this year. He is also returning to the stage for the off-Broadway revival of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size, which runs through mid-September.

“ To be honest with you, I feel like I’m just getting warmed up. There’s so much stuff I want to do,” says Holland. “I got a bunch of things I’m developing on my slate with my company. I think that keeps driving me: just keep getting better and keep trying to see how far this thing can go.” 

As for his hopes for the film, Holland, who lives in Brooklyn currently, is looking forward to giving something back to the community that’s given so much to him.

”I live in these communities, so I know that the folks are excited about this kind of stuff,” he says. “I’m excited to share it. I hope people buy tickets to go see it in the theaters and we can make more movies like it.”

Love, Brooklyn is in select theaters now.