Keep an eye on these breakthrough talents
Once again, we’re here to show love to black filmmakers who are doing their thing in the industry. To check out our first five filmmaker list click here.
Leron Lee
Leron has carved out a name for himself in Newark, and his work often gives a voice to stories and issues that are unrepresented in the city. As of recently, he was helping to curate a film series at Newark Museum of Art. He initially caught our attention as a director as his film “Ugly” was a smash hit which went on to show on HBO. He followed that up with “Catch A Girl”. This film examines the early stages of predatory behavior amongst the youth. It made its rounds on the festival circuit, granting Lee a much deserved “Best Director” nod at The Short Film Awards.
Huriyyah Muhammad
Huriyyah made national headlines when she won the Producers Award from Sundance Institute and Amazon Studios for the film “Farewell Amor”. Along with her producing work though, she is an acclaimed writer and director. She surfaced on our radar for her directorial work on “Outgrown”, a Sam Hicks produced film about two kids quest to sneak in an Outkast concert.
Devin Rice
Devin is a writer-director-actor and the mind behind his very own production company. In 2017 he dropped an indie feature “Being Black Enough“, which depicted a young mans internal battle with his identity. The film created conversation whenever it was screened and can be viewed now on Amazon Prime. He created Devin Rice studios with a goal of becoming one of the largest, most innovative independent film and TV studios.
Brittany Clemons
Brittany has made a name for herself in TV and film, holding producer roles for various media companies while creating her own works as well. She’s worked on some of the dopest shows out, like AMC’s “Songs That Shook”. This month she dropped the trailer for her film “Blight” and it looks like a banger to say the least.
Lonnie Neal
While new to the directing scene in terms of body of work, Lonnie made a definitive statement with his first film. “Sibling Survival” is the best kind of debut, as it is uniquely personal to him and his own upbringing. It shows the story of siblings who have just moved in with their moms new drug dealing boyfriend. Just before the Coronavirus pandemic, Lonnie was launching his own network to connect with black filmmakers, help distribute their films and offer job opportunities. We’ll keep an eye on his career going forward.
