G.A.R.O.A award winning director Kiana Woodson joins The Black Creators Club to discuss the narrative that is pushed in mainstream media around the Black community and how she uses her voice and vision to share healthy images of the Black family.
In a recent episode of The Black Creators Club, hosts Akilah Ffriend and Eboné Chatman interviewed Kiana Woodson, an award winning director who has produced and written her own works. Her projects take on a new definition of positive Black storytelling with genuine and relatable stories.
Kiana Woodson started her journey as a director at SCAD, The University for Creative Careers. She started on the fast track with her first notable project, Willie’s Letter, which cost $15,000 to make and was funded by her boss at the time. It really shows how sharing your ideas and dreams with supportive people can propel you to the next level.
Kiana is in the early stages of her career but has already made huge strides in the industry with 3 major well produced, written, and directed films. Willie’s Letter, which won a Red Dot Award. Endangered, which allowed her to work with Damn Write Originals and premiered on AspireTV Network. Lastly, Stop Killing Us, which was nominated for a GAROA Award and was selected for an Independent Shorts Award under the category Future of Film is Female.
Kiana takes a strong stand on the Black community and the narratives that are shared. Especially since so often, the story is not being told authentically or portrayed in the media fairly. Projects and films like Willie’s Letter, Endangered, and Stop Killing Us allow Kiana to share a more authentic and realistic perspective of the Black experience.
“So often with generational trauma, because that’s what the film [Willie’s Letter] is really about generational trauma, things become so normal that you don’t realize the problem, which is she [Vanessa Westbrook, writer, and producer] saying, you don’t always see the “blind spots” that are in your children.”
The themes in the episode are endless as we explore all of Kiana’s projects and tips on how to leverage your projects as a director, producer, or creative. She also explores the narratives that are put in front of us and how she is making changes to expose positive and true storytelling.
This episode of the Black Creators Club gives us the rundown on the importance of not conforming to industry standards but, instead, staying true to your vision.
Find the full episode on Kiana Woodson and more content from The Black Creators Club on Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Like this article and the full interview? Make sure to share this post with a friend!
Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr7RraiajpboG8CFWzHua9A
Apple Podcasts:
