Draft:Kiara C. Jones

Jones debuted as a feature filmmaker with Christmas Wedding Baby,{{Cite web|url=https://artistsinnewyorkcity.wordpress.com/2015/03/27/christmas-wedding-baby-at-bam-cinematik-in-new-york-city/comment-page-1/|title=*Christmas Wedding Baby* at BAM Cinematik in New York City|website=Artists in New York City|date=2015-03-27|accessdate=2025-01-15}} which won the Directors Guild of America Grand Jury Award {{Cite web|url=https://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2014/141202-DGA-Announces-Winners-Of-20th-Annual-Student-Film-Awards-East-Region|title=DGA Announces Winners of 20th Annual DGA Student Film Awards - East Region -|website=www.dga.org}} and aired on BET and Netflix.{{Cite web|url=https://blavity.com/entertainment/kiara-jones-warm-and-loving-rom-com-christmas-wedding-baby-now-available-on-neflix|title=Kiara Jones' Warm and Loving Rom-Com *Christmas Wedding Baby* Now Available on Netflix|website=Blavity|date=2025-01-15|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

She then Directed 21 and Done, a documentary expositing the plight and strength of children aging out of Foster Care{{Cite web|url=https://lasentinel.net/harrowing-documentary-premieres-on-aging-out-of-the-foster-care-system.html|title=Harrowing Documentary Premieres on Aging Out of the Foster Care System|website=Los Angeles Sentinel|date=2021-06-10|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

which won Best Documentary at Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival{{Cite web|url=https://www.rachelvandernacht.com/21-and-done-movie-poster|title=*21 and Done* Movie Poster|website=Rachel Van Der Nacht|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

Kiara has worked as a producer on several notable films, including:

• A Woman on the Outside, a feature documentary on which she was also Writer,{{Cite web|url=https://www.amdoc.org/pressroom/america-reframed-acquires-a-woman-on-the-outside/|title=*America ReFramed* Acquires *A Woman on the Outside*|website=American Documentary|accessdate=2025-01-15}} premiered at SXSW and won Best Documentary at the American Black Film Festival{{Cite web|url=https://www.abff.com/miami/the-abff-announces-2022-feature-documentary-and-web-series-lineup/|title=The ABFF Announces 2022 Feature, Documentary, and Web Series Lineup|website=American Black Film Festival|date=2022-05-16|accessdate=2025-01-15}} and Mammoth Lakes Film Festival{{Cite web|url=https://www.awardsdaily.com/2022/06/03/8th-annual-mammoth-lakes-film-festival-announces-award-winners-in-in-person-film-festival-event/|title=8th Annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Announces Award Winners in In-Person Film Festival Event|website=Awards Daily|date=2022-06-03|accessdate=2025-01-15}} premiered on PBS in 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/scene-2-seen-podcast-talking-with-kristal-bush-zara-katz-1235091962/|title=Scene 2 Seen Podcast: Talking With Kristal Bush & Zara Katz|website=Deadline|date=2022-08-18|accessdate=2025-01-15}} {{Cite web|url=https://worldchannel.org/episode/america-reframed-a-woman-on-the-outside/|title=America ReFramed: A Woman on the Outside|website=WORLD Channel|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Premature (2019), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/premature-review-1203508665/|title='Premature': Film Review|website=Variety|author=Peter Debruge|date=2020-02-20|accessdate=2025-01-15}} and won the Someone to Watch Award at the Independent Spirit Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/the-farewell-american-factory-lead-sundance-supported-independent-spirit-award-winners/#:~:text=And+finally,+writer/director/,Zora+Howard+and+Joshua+Boone.|title='The Farewell' Leads Sundance-Supported Independent Spirit Award Winners - sundance.org|date=February 10, 2020}}

• She’s Lost Control (2014),{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/shes-lost-control-berlin-review-678570/|title=*She's Lost Control* (Berlin Review)|website=The Hollywood Reporter|author=John DeFore|date=2014-02-08|accessdate=2025-01-15}} which premiered at the Berlinale

and earned a CICAE Award{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/watch-exclusive-shes-lost-control-trailer-delivers-lessons-in-intimacy-64600/|website=IndieWire|author=Chris O'Falt| title=Exclusive: *She's Lost Control* Trailer Delivers Lessons in Intimacy |date=2014-02-18|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

and an Independent Spirit Award nomination.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/02/independent-spirit-award-winners|title=Independent Spirit Award Winners|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=2015-02-21|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

{{cite web |title=Hi8: Eight Questions with Kiara C. Jones, Producer of 'She's Lost Control' |url=https://walkerart.org/magazine/hi8-eight-questions-with-kiara-c-jones-producer-shes-lost-control/ |website=Walker Art Center |date=March 11, 2015 |access-date=January 15, 2025}}

In television, Jones served as a consulting producer for The First 48 and After the First 48 on A&E, ensuring accurate and respectful portrayals of people profiled on these True Crime Dramas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kiara-c-jones/bio/3060387773/|title=Kiara C. Jones TV Guide Biography|publisher=TV Guide|accessdate=2025-01-06}}

• Basura – Director/Writer/Producer{{Cite web|url=https://www.prideindex.com/coming-soon-an-interview-with-kiara-c-jones-director-of-amazon-women/|title=Coming Soon: An Interview with Kiara C. Jones, Director of *Amazon Women*|website=Pride Index|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Amazon Women – Director/Writer/Producer (Urbanworld Film Festival){{Cite web|url=http://www.blackfilm.com/20090903/features/urbanworldnews.shtml|title=AUGUST 2009 | blackfilm.com | THE 13TH ANNUAL URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL|website=www.blackfilm.com}}
• Men or Mice – Director/Writer/Producer (NYU Producing Award){{cite web |title='Men Or Mice' Breaks Through At Theaters And Black Voices |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/men-or-mice-black-voices-breakthrough-theater_n_3677298 |website=HuffPost |date=July 25, 2013 |access-date=January 15, 2025 |author=Kimberly D. Worthy}}

• The Other Side of the Game - Writer{{Cite web|url=https://www.blackfilm.com/read/watch-kiara-c-jones-short-film-the-other-side-of-the-game/|title=Watch Kiara C. Jones' Short Film *The Other Side of the Game*|website=BlackFilm|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Black Girl in Paris - Producer (ABFF/HBO){{Cite web|url=https://blavity.com/hbo-heads-to-film-lifes-17th-annual-american-black-film-festival-june-19-23|title=HBO Heads to Film LIFE's 17th Annual American Black Film Festival June 19-23|website=Blavity|date=2013-06-12|accessdate=2025-01-15}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/black-girl-in-paris/cast/2030197137/|title=*Black Girl in Paris* Cast|website=TV Guide|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• 7 Pennies – Director/Producer{{Cite web|url=https://bronzelens.eventive.org/films/5f061a2dd6749d0029ed4825|title=BronzeLens Film Festival: Film Details|website=BronzeLens Film Festival|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Barbasol – Writer/Producer{{Cite web|url=https://www.blackfilm.com/read/official-selections-of-hollywood-black-film-festival-2012/|title=Official Selections of Hollywood Black Film Festival 2012|website=BlackFilm|date=2012-04-19|accessdate=2025-01-15}}(Best Short Urbanworld Film Festival){{Cite web|url=https://urbanworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/UW12-WinnersAnnouncement-9.23.12.pdf|title=UW12 Winners Announcement|website=Urban World|date=2012-09-23|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Black Rose – Producer{{Cite web|url=http://www.aicpshow.com|title=AICP Show Archives|publisher=Association of Independent Commercial Producers|accessdate=2025-01-06}} (AICP Award Winner, inducted into MoMA archives){{Cite web|url=https://www.flavourmag.co.uk/black-rose-award-winning-animation/|title=Black Rose: Award-Winning Animation|website=FlavourMag|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• The Roe Effect – Producer (Winner, ABFF/HBO Short Film Competition; screened at Cannes){{Cite web|url=https://www.abff.com/miami/the-13th-annual-american-black-film-festival-culminates-with-awards-presentation-a-private-community-reception-and-screening-of-pastor-brown/|title=The 13th Annual American Black Film Festival Culminates with Awards Presentation, a Private Community Reception, and Screening of *Pastor Brown*|website=ABFF|date=2009-06-22|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Directors Guild of America Grand Jury Award for Christmas Wedding Baby{{cite web |title=The 4th Annual BlackStar Film Festival Celebrates Black Stories |url=https://www.phillyvoice.com/4th-annual-blackstar-film-festival-black-stories/ |website=PhillyVoice |date=July 30, 2015 |access-date=January 15, 2025}}

• Independent Spirit Award Nominee for She’s Lost Control{{cite web |title=Participant's Films Received Four Spirit Award Nominations |url=https://participant.com/participants-films-received-four-spirit-award-nominations/ |website=Participant Media |date=November 25, 2014 |access-date=January 15, 2025}}

• Best Documentary for A Woman on the Outside at Mammoth Lakes Film Festival and American Black Film Festival{{Cite web|url=https://philasun.com/entertainment/with-a-woman-on-the-outside-kiara-c-jones-explores-a-different-side-of-incarceration/|title=A Woman on the Outside Explores a Different Side of Incarceration|publisher=Philadelphia Sun|accessdate=2025-01-06}}

• [https://www.nyfa.org/grant-history/nysca-nyfa-artist-fellowship/ NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship] (2021){{cite web |title=Introducing 2021 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellows, Finalists, and Panelists |url=https://www.nyfa.org/news/archive/introducing-2021-nysca-nyfa-artist-fellows-finalists-and-panelists/ |website=New York Foundation for the Arts |date=July 8, 2021 |access-date=January 15, 2025}}

• Writers Guild of America FilmNation NY Screenwriters Fellowship{{cite web |title=FilmNation Entertainment and the Writers Guild of America East Conclude the Inaugural New York Screenwriters Workshop |url=https://www.wgaeast.org/filmnation-entertainment-and-the-writers-guild-of-america-east-conclude-the-inaugural-new-york-screenwriters-workshop/ |website=Writers Guild of America East |date=March 4, 2020 |access-date=January 15, 2025}}

• [https://screencraft.org/fund/ ScreenCraft Film Fund] (2021){{Cite web|url=https://screencraft.org/fund/previous-seasons/|title=Previous Seasons|website=ScreenCraft|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Sony Diverse Directors Program{{Cite web|url=https://cinemaaxis.com/2016/02/13/kiara-c-jones-talks-romantic-comedies-diversity-in-hollywood-and-why-this-critic-got-it-wrong/|title=Kiara C. Jones Talks Romantic Comedies, Diversity in Hollywood, and Why This Critic Got It Wrong|website=Cinema Axis|date=2016-02-13|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• NYC Women's Fund{{cite web |title=NYC Women's Fund for Media, Music and Theatre 2020 Recipients |url=https://www.nyc.gov/site/mome/industries/womens-fund-2020.page |website=NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment |access-date=January 15, 2025}}

• Best Documentary [https://reelsisters.org/ Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival]

• NYU Purple List{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/nyu-purple-list-winners-2016-885999/|title=NYU Purple List: The Winners|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2016-12-13|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• IFP Filmmaker Lab{{Cite web|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/109740-ifp-announces-26-projects-selected-for-2020-documentary-narrative-and-episodic-labs/|title=IFP Announces 26 Projects Selected for 2020 Documentary, Narrative, and Episodic Labs|website=Filmmaker Magazine|date=2020-03-02|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Trans Atlantic Partners Producing Fellow{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/06/orphan-black-american-honey-producers-among-those-selected-for-2017-trans-atlantic-partners-lineup-1202115730/|title='Orphan Black', 'American Honey' Producers Among Those Selected for 2017 Trans-Atlantic Partners Lineup|website=Deadline|date=2017-06-07|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Bronx Council of the Arts BRIO Award for Screenwriting{{Cite web|url=https://www.bronxarts.org/grants/bronx-recognizes-its-own/kiara-jones.html|title=Kiara Jones BRIO Grant Recipient|publisher=Bronx Council on the Arts|accessdate=2025-01-06}}

• Pan African Film Festival Best Director Award for Christmas Wedding Baby{{Cite web|url=https://mubi.com/en/awards-and-festivals/paff?year=2015|title=PAFF 2015 - MUBI|website=MUBI|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• Blackstar Film Festival Best Narrative Feature for Christmas Wedding Baby

• Urbanworld Film Festival Audience Award Best Short for Barbasol{{Cite web|url=https://www.wgaeast.org/event/an-interview-with-scott-frank-the-queens-gambit/|title=An Interview with Scott Frank: *The Queen's Gambit*|website=Writers Guild of America, East|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

The daughter of parents from the Bronx and Brooklyn, Kiara was raised mostly in Jacksonville, Florida.

She discovered her passion for storytelling at a young age, writing poetry and short stories that captured her vivid imagination. She also entertained audiences as a singer, dancer, and hip-hop artist, cultivating a strong foundation in creative expression and performance.

After her father’s tragic death in a car accident, Jones enlisted in the United States Air Force, where she served as a computer security specialist and later retrained as a broadcaster at the Defense Information School. During her military career, Jones worked as a radio disc jockey, evening news anchor and station manager earning several commendations and awards for her service.

After an honorable discharge, Jones pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree magna cum laude from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)

and a Master of Fine Arts in Film from New York University Tisch School of the Arts under Artistic Director Spike Lee.{{Cite web|url=https://tisch.nyu.edu/grad-film|title=Graduate Film at NYU Tisch|website=NYU Tisch School of the Arts|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

{{Cite web|url=https://tisch.nyu.edu/grad-film/news/2019/Grad-Film-Achievements-2018-19|title=Grad Film Achievements 2018-19|website=NYU Tisch School of the Arts|date=2019|accessdate=2025-01-15}}

• {{IMDb name|3478816}}
• [https://www.cultivatedfilms.com Cultivated Films Official Website]
• [https://womanontheoutsidefilm.com A Woman on the Outside Official Website]
• [http://www.aicpshow.com AICP Show Archives – Black Rose]
• [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/nyu-purple-list-winners-2016-885999 NYU Purple List Winners]

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