Filmmaker Highlights
Student Board Blog: SPIKE LEE, Black Influence in Hollywood
Written by Kayen Manovil ‘23-‘24 Student Board Member When we speak of trailblazers in the Black community, we often speak of civil rights leaders and political pioneers. While MLK Jr, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman and the many more have undeniably earned their foot in the appreciation circle for their contributions to Black liberation, we often forget to include those whose art medium transcends minds on a global scale: Filmmakers. From breaking stereotypes with multidimensional stories on Black experiences to inspiring a wave of social critique through a Black lens, it’s safe to say that screenwriter and director Spike [...]
How writer and director Sophie Penn started creating her independent short film “Halcyon Days”
Hi Readers of Reel Stories! I’m writing this to talk about, well, a REAL story. My own, and that of the film that I am in the process of creating. My name is Sophie Penn. I was born and raised in Belmont, California (Bay Area!!) and am currently living and working as an independent filmmaker in Austin, Texas. I went to Syracuse University as a film major in 2018, and subsequently took a gap year in January 2021 to move to Austin and start a film production company with three colleagues. Now, ten months later, I’m still in Austin, and [...]
Female & Non-Binary Filmmakers To Know
Female and Non-Binary Media Makers
