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Michael Williams (film director)

{{short description|American filmmaker (born 1987)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Michael Williams

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|6|23}}

| birth_place = West Point, Mississippi, U.S.

| other_names =

| alma mater = University of Southern Mississippi {{Small|(BA)}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter|film editor|film producer|cinematographer}}

| years_active = 2008–present

| partner = Cody Moore

| notable works = {{Plainlist|

}}

| website = http://www.shendopen.com

}}

Michael Williams (born June 23, 1987) is an American filmmaker born in West Point, Mississippi.

Life and career

Williams began creating short films in 2004 and since has consistently produced short films and screened them for audiences at annual film festivals and screenings across the U.S.

He earned his bachelor of arts in film in 2009 from the University of Southern Mississippi and was awarded the Top Film Student of 2009 Award. In 2007, Williams began his professional film career, accumulating a multitude of credits ranging from assistant camera to director of photography for many independent short and feature-length films.

After writing, directing and producing more than 20 short films, Williams broke into the feature-length film territory in 2014 with OzLand, a science fantasy drama inspired by characters and events in L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. While his desire to tell complex stories visually drew him to a career in cinematography, as an artist and storyteller, Williams writes and directs films like OzLand in order to share his stories with those interested in experiencing them while eagerly pursuing the opportunity to bring other people's stories to life as a director of photography.

Today, the filmmaker owns and operates his own company, Shendopen, in West Point, Mississippi. He continues to write and direct his own independent films, produce films by other regional filmmakers and works regionally in the industry as a director of photography.{{cite web|url=http://www.shendopen.com/michaelwilliams|title=Shendopen|publisher=|accessdate=29 October 2016}} His second feature film, The Atoning, marked his first entry into the horror genre and premiered at the Oxford Film Festival on February 18, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5854198/|title=The Atoning|date=1 January 2000|publisher=|accessdate=29 October 2016|via=IMDb}}{{cite web|url=http://oxfordfilmfest.com/oxford-film-festival/2016/12/7/the-2017-oxford-film-festival-announces-full-schedule-for-the-14th-edition-of-the-film-festival-february-15-19|title=The 2017 Oxford Film Festival Announces Full Schedule for the 14th Edition of the Film Festival (February 15-19)|publisher=|accessdate=5 March 2017}} His filmmaking influences include the works of directors Darren Aronofsky, Tim Burton, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Mike Nichols, John Patrick Shanley, M. Night Shyamalan and Steven Spielberg.https://www.sameraentertainment.com/michaelwilliams

Filmography

class="wikitable"
Year

! Title

! width="60"| Director

! width="60"| Writer

! width="60"| Producer

! width="60"| Cinematographer

! width="60"| Editor

! Notes

rowspan=2| 2009

| The Mistake

|{{partial|co-director}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|rowspan=13| Short film

The Shovel

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

rowspan=2| 2010

| Treat or Eat

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

Lukos

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

rowspan=3| 2011

| Zion

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

The Fall of Henry

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

Illumination

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

rowspan=2| 2012

| Genrevolt

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|co-producer}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

Third Shift

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|co-producer}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

rowspan=4| 2013

| Last Fall

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

A Mutual Friend

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

S for Sally

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

Kane

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

rowspan=3| 2014

| Earthrise

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{partial|co-producer}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|Feature film

A Horror Movie

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|Short film

OzLand

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|Feature film; Directorial debut

rowspan=2| 2015

| Dead Saturday

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|rowspan=7| Short film

Complacency

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

rowspan=8| 2016

| The Beatdown

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

Poison Tree Blues

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

Freedom Fighters

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

Two Birds

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

Tinker

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

The Hollow

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

| Feature film, First Assistant Camera

Bare Knuckle

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

| Short film

Forced Move

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

| Feature film

rowspan=3| 2017

| Crucible City

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|rowspan=2 | Short film

Dreamscape

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

The Atoning

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|Feature film

rowspan=2| 2018

| Mississippi Minute

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|rowspan=2 | Short film

A Son Inherit

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

rowspan=3| 2019

| Driven

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|rowspan=2 | Feature film

Hallowed Ground

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

Super Science Showcase

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|Segment: "Tom Sawyer Runs the Gauntlet"

rowspan=5| 2020

| Doodle

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|rowspan=2| Short film

Revelation, Alabama

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

The Dinner Party

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|rowspan=2| Feature film

Eternity

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

A Dixie Darling Dinner

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|Short film; in Post Production

2023

| Payment Received

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

| Feature film

rowspan=3| TBA

| Kin

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|rowspan=2| Short film; in Production

The Star Crossed

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

The Hidden Few

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|{{no}}

|Feature film; in development

References

{{Reflist}}

[http://www.shendopen.com/ Shendopen Productions]

External links

  • [http://www.shendopen.com/ Official Website]
  • {{IMDb name|2916813}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Michael Williams}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Michael}}

Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:American film editors

Category:American cinematographers

Category:American male screenwriters

Category:Film directors from Mississippi

Category:People from West Point, Mississippi

Category:Screenwriters from Mississippi

Category:21st-century American screenwriters

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:University of Southern Mississippi alumni