By Nadine Matthews, Special to the AFRO
Actor and director Damien D. Smith is on a roll. His film “Jinn”, about a teenager whose life is turned upside down after her mother simultaneously converts to Islam and goes through an identity crisis, won the Special Jury Award at the most recent South by Southwest Festival (SXSW). The week-long annual event in Austin, Texas is best known for its conference and festivals that highlight the best in interactive, film, and music. it is increasingly one of the most influential of all media related festivals. “Jinn” also stars Simone Missick (Luke Cage), Dorian Missick (Southland, Animal Kingdom), and Hisham Tawfiq (The Blacklist).
Actor and Director Damien D. Smith (Courtesy Photo)
More recently, the St. Louis native won the American Black Film Festival’s Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack Reel to Reel Award for directing a touching homage to Black fatherhood, the short film “Daddy’s Big Girl”. In it, a dad prepares his young daughter to adjust to a life where he will no longer be a daily presence. Reel to Reel is a collaboration between the Gentleman Jack and Codeblack Entertainment that helps to uplift the next wave of Black film creatives and showcase their work to local and national audiences. Actor Omari Hardwick (Power, Sorry To Bother You) is the brand’s official ambassador. “Omari Hardwick is the perfect brand ambassador,” Smith says, “because he is so giving of his time, energy, and resources. It’s funny because I had written a script and Omari was at the top of my list for one of the characters and just how the universe- God, set things up, he and I were able to sit down and have a conversation not only about Reel to Reel but about my vision.”
Studies show that decisiveness is a key indicator of success and it seems to have always been a strong part of Smith’s character. Knowing he wanted to be an actor, Smith wasted no time in pursuing his passion. “I was always watching a lot of movies. I was just a movie head and a big sci-fi head. When I got older and I realized I wanted to do it for a career, I moved straight to New York City from high school.” In New York City, lots of theater work honed his acting skills. A later move to Los Angeles gave Smith the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of working behind the camera. ”I worked on a whole lot of sets doing grip and electric and I learned enough to make my award winning directorial debut with About That.”
Smith has so far participated in a number of films that center young Black women. He reveals he is personally able to connect with theses stories because, “As a man I’m able to connect with it because I feel we’re telling our stories. We have diverse religions and nationalities. I love that there are so many empowering truths that you can pick up from “Jinn”. Not just young women, young people need to see it.”
Smith points to Spike Lee, F. Gary Gray, Sidney Lumet, and Francis Ford Coppola as his directorial idols. “Ideally,” he says, “I’d like a career that continues to allow me to perform in front of as well as behind the camera. As a director and writer I have stories I want to tell. The stories I believe in combat stereotypes or misconceptions about African-Americans or other groups. I just want to give voice to the voiceless.”
An inveterate traveler, Smith has seen enough of the world to write and direct a lifetime of stories and with the sensitivity of someone with first-hand knowledge of myriad cultures. He has traveled to Ireland, Germany, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, United KIngdom, Guatemala, Antigua, and Dominican Republic, to name a few places. He has also been, he says, “To forty-six of the states in the United States.” He insists, “When I travel I try to learn as much as I can and pick up information., and grow and study as much as I can with the people who are artists in their country. Traveling is growth. When I travel, it’s me learning something that’s gonna help me be a better storyteller.” Smith is now getting ready for his next trip, which will be to Vietnam. “I have a buddy who just got back from Vietnam and he told me ‘Man, you gotta go. It’s a beautiful place. It’s tranquil and peaceful.’”
Smith is working hard to get his first feature length film completed. Follow his journey on social media at @damiendsmith. His short film, About That is available on iTunes. Smith is also is seeking to have Daddy’s Big Girl distributed on iTunes.