DIRECTOR - FILM
“The Belle of New Orleans” by Lynn Nottage
Combining live action and film, Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage’s play By the Way, Meet Vera Stark examines the legacy of racism in Hollywood. Act One takes place in 1930s Hollywood, but Act Two takes place at a present day film symposium—beginning with a “clip” of The Belle of New Orleans, the movie Vera was angling to snag a role in during Act One. With this short film-within-the-play, I wanted to create a film that looked and felt period-realistic, but also bridged the over-the-top comedy of the play’s first act with the social satire of its second. (The actors are Toni Trucks, Courtney Patterson, and Tiffany Rachelle Stewart.)
DIRECTOR - TELEVISION
Shadowing
The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies (Ep. 1-3)
Director: Robbie McKillup
Co-creators/Writers: Penny & Ginny Skinner
Producers: SISTER/BBC Productions
Tales of the Walking Dead (S01.E03)
Director: Michael Satrazemis
Written by: Channing Powell
Producer: AMC
The Walking Dead (S11.E17)
Director: Greg Nicotero
Written by: Julia Ruchman
Producer: AMC
TV Directing Intensive with Dan Attias - Sundance Collab
I was selected to join this 3-day live, online seminar led by Emmy-nominated veteran TV director, Dan Attias (The Wire, The Sopranos, Homeland, …Mrs. Maisel) in April of 2022.
Roy Williams and me.
SCREENWRITER
BEETHOVEN
When a white-presenting New Yorker learns through his son’s DNA test that he’s half Black British Jamaican and adopted, he and the defiant teen — a gifted musician nicknamed “Beethoven” — embark on a transatlantic journey to confront newfound relatives and unearth buried secrets, in an exploration of identity, heritage, and the ties that truly bind. (Co-written with BAFTA-winning British writer, Roy Williams, O.B.E.)
One hour, comedy/drama
THE FILAMENT
Across centuries and continents, one child’s soul connects three generations of two opposing families as they strive to unravel the mysteries of their shared destiny, discovering how love, betrayal, and sacrifice weave together the fragile threads of humanity’s future.
One hour, drama - limited series
PRODUCER
“Mother of George”
Directed by Andrew Dosunmu
Written by Darci Picoult
Starring Danai Gurira
WINNER - Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic Competition
Sundance Film Festival 2013
Adenike and Ayodele, a Nigerian couple living in Brooklyn, are having trouble conceiving a child—a problem that defies cultural expectations and leads Adenike to make a shocking decision that could either save or destroy her family.
Navigating the TV & Film Industry - Sundance Collab
Accepted to 8-week live, online course in the fall of 2020 with Allison Erlikhman (VP, Walt Disney Studios) through Sundance Collab. Projects and topics included:
Acquire skills to present to agents, execs, financiers, etc.
Develop and practice project pitch.
Understand the structure, financing, revenue, and distribution for theatrical, TV, and streaming platforms.
Identify roles of a lead, line and executive producers, and how to develop a successful partnership.
Understand the various types of contracts and agreements.
ACTOR
“Little Men”
Written and Directed by Ira Sachs
Playing myself opposite Greg Kinnear, directing him and Talia Balsam as they rehears a scene from Chekhov’s The Seagull.