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While I followed a non-traditional path into the industry and have always had a variety of academic interests, a passion for storytelling has been constant in my life. As a kid growing up in South Carolina, I loved reading books, watching TV, and playing make believe more than any other game - but since I happened to grow up as a female in a family of academics, my first foray into the film industry was writing a college paper on the effects of globalization on the relationships between Bollywood characters. I continued this more academic approach to film while working as an after-school teacher by reviewing films on my feminist blog ("Complaining About Things I Like") until 2014 - when I finally realized I should take my deepest passion a step further, taking a short-term evening course at New York Film Academy.
I have now directed three episodes of Black Panties, a web series celebrating the beauty and intuition of black women in all their forms. As the director of the pilot episode, I got to be a formative part in the development of the central characters of Mahogany and Juice. I have also directed a number of dance and music videos, and have recently branched out into both fictional series development and documentary work. My goal in all my work as both a writer and a director is to utilize cinema's ability to bring out stories that are even more truthful than reality itself, no matter what genre I am working with.
In addition to being an accomplished director, I have assistant directed on a number of projects, from commercials to short films to even virtual reality. My background in teaching taught me to value efficiency, adaptability, and reliability - all skills that transfer well to assistant directing. I also love attending events as a photographer, where I can participate in events as an observer on the sidelines; I've always preferred observation to participation, even as a child, so photography comes naturally to me, as well. I pride myself on being able to capture already beautiful people, finding the most dynamic moments, and making them even more beautiful & dynamic during the editing process.
Outside of work, my hobbies include reading, tweeting (@kay_fil), Bollywood dance, barre class, and snuggling my pet bunny (#KajalTheBun).
