Shatara Michelle Ford

Last updated
Shatara Michelle Ford
Occupation(s)Director, writer, producer
Years active2016– present
Notable work Test Pattern

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

Contents

Career

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

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

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2019 BlackStar Film Festival Lionsgate/STARZ Producer Award Test Pattern Won [8]
New Orleans Film Festival Best Narrative FeatureWon [8]
2020 DeadCENTER Film Festival Special Jury PrizeWon [9]
2021 Gotham Awards Best FeatureNominated [10]
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director AwardNominated [10]
Los Angeles Film Critics Circle AwardsNew Generation PrizeWon (tied with Prayers for the Stolen ) [11]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Special Citation for Independent CinemaWon (tied with Kuessipan ) [12]
Women Film Critics Circle Awards Josephine Baker AwardNominated [13]
2022 Austin Film Critics Association Special Honorary AwardWon [14]
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Independent FilmNominated [15]
Independent Spirit Awards Best First FeatureNominated [16]
Best First ScreenplayNominated [16]
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Independent Motion PictureNominated [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 "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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