Wikipedia

Shatara Michelle Ford

Shatara Michelle Ford is an American director, writer, and producer. Their feature film directorial debut Test Pattern (2019) received critical acclaim.[1]

Shatara Michelle Ford
Occupation(s)Director, writer, producer
Years active2016– present
Notable workTest Pattern

Career

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Ford gained prominence in 2019 for Test Pattern, their feature film directorial debut. The story follows Renesha and Evan, a young interracial couple seeking medical care after Renesha is sexually assaulted by a stranger.[2] Ford also wrote and produced the film.[3] Test Pattern debuted in August 2019 at the BlackStar Film Festival, where it received the Lionsgate/STARZ Producer Award.[4] Additional accolades were awarded at the New Orleans Film Festival and the deadCENTER Film Festival.[4]

Their forthcoming coming-of-age film, Queen Elizabeth, was named to the 2017 Black List.[1] It is in development as of 2021.[4]

In 2024, Ford directed, wrote, and produced Dreams in Nightmares following three friends roadtripping across the Midwestern United States in search of their friend who has disappeared off the grid.[5]

They cited German Expressionism and Alfred Hitchcock as key influences.[6]

Personal life

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Ford was raised in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] Ford uses they/them pronouns.[2] Ford has an MFA in screenwriting from Royal Holloway, University of London and a BA in political studies and sociology from Pitzer College.[7]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2019 BlackStar Film Festival Lionsgate/STARZ Producer Award Test Pattern Won [8]
New Orleans Film Festival Best Narrative Feature Won [8]
2020 DeadCENTER Film Festival Special Jury Prize Won [9]
2021 Gotham Awards Best Feature Nominated [10]
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award Nominated [10]
Los Angeles Film Critics Circle Awards New Generation Prize Won (tied with Prayers for the Stolen) [11]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Special Citation for Independent Cinema Won (tied with Kuessipan) [12]
Women Film Critics Circle Awards Josephine Baker Award Nominated [13]
2022 Austin Film Critics Association Special Honorary Award Won [14]
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Independent Film Pending [15]
Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature Pending [16]
Best First Screenplay Pending [16]
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Independent Motion Picture Pending [17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Luers, Erik (2021-02-19). ""I Had to Use Nine Credit Cards": Shatara Michelle Ford on Test Pattern". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  2. ^ a b Da Costa, Cassie (2021-04-26). "5 Black Indie Directors Who Haven't Let the Pandemic Stop Them". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  3. ^ "Director Shatara Michelle Ford On Centering Blackness In 'Test Pattern'". HuffPost. 2021-02-19. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  4. ^ a b c N'Duka, Amanda (21 April 2021). "UTA Signs Rising Filmmaker Shatara Michelle Ford". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  5. ^ Erbland, Kate (June 25, 2024). "Indie Spirit-Nominated 'Test Pattern' Filmmaker Shatara Michelle Ford Has Completed Next Film". IndieWire. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  6. ^ "Test Pattern Director Shatara Michelle Ford on Making Their First Film and Being Emotionally Truthful". The Stranger. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  7. ^ "Shatara Michelle Ford | The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage". www.pewcenterarts.org. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  8. ^ a b Grater, Tom (2020-09-03). "Kino Lorber Buys Indie Pic 'Test Pattern'". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  9. ^ "Test Pattern – Director Shatara Michelle | Film School Radio hosted by Mike Kaspar". Film School Radio. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  10. ^ a b Schneider, Michael; Davis, Clayton (2021-11-28). "Gotham Awards Predictions: Will Netflix Rule Both Sides of Film and TV With 'The Lost Daughter' and 'Squid Game'?". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  11. ^ Lamphier, Jason. "Penélope Cruz, 'Drive My Car' score big wins at LAFCA awards". EW.com. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  12. ^ "SFBAFCC 2021 Awards". The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  13. ^ "The Women Film Critics Circle Announces Its 2021 Winners, Tributing Hall's 'Passing' and Campion's 'The Power of the Dog'". Cinema Daily US. 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  14. ^ Partridge, Jon (2022-01-11). "The 2021 Austin Film Critics Association Award Winners". Austin Film Critics Association. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  15. ^ "'The Harder They Fall' leads Black Reel Awards with record 20 nominations". WTOP News. 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  16. ^ a b "These are the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominees". Film Independent. 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  17. ^ Complex, Valerie (2022-01-18). "NAACP Image Awards Nominations: Netflix Tops List For Second Year In A Row With 'The Harder They Fall', 'Bruised' & 'Passing'". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
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