Kiel Adrian Scott is a 26 year old writer/director, born and raised in New Orleans, La. to a family of artist, musicians, and educators. As a result, early on he was taught the significance of creative expression and knowledge sharing. However, the lessons of his family were all the more relevant in context to the social and political climate of New Orleans.

By the time Kiel left high school his community work and fine art had garnered him a Certificate of Merit from the City of New Orleans and admission into the nation?s most selective undergraduate program of any type, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art?s School of Art (Princeton Review, US News and World Report, 2001). All students granted admission into the school are awarded full tuition scholarships.

While at Cooper Kiel?s fine art works began to incorporate film and video. Kiel?s final film work at The Cooper Union, Shallow Waters, was a Regional Finalist for Best Alternative Student Film at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Academy Awards. continued....

Kiel Adrian Scott Up Close and Personal......

Question: Where do you live?
Answer: I live in New York City. I came here in 2001 for college. I was invited to attend an art conservatory called The Cooper Union. It?s a really cool place. Everyone who is invited to attend is awarded a full tuition scholarship, which I will forever be grateful for.

Question: Were you born and raised there?
Answer: Actually, I was born and raised in New Orleans. The 9th Ward to be exact.

Question: When you were growing up what did you dream of being?
Answer: I actually wanted to be an astronaut, more specifically an aeronautical engineer. I wanted to work for NASA when I was a kid. It all started because I used to love Star Trek. Growing up in New Orleans, we never had a lot of money and racism was always an issue. In Star Trek, however, there was no money, so it didn?t matter if you were poor. The only thing that mattered was how hard you worked. There was also no racism, no sexism, none of those things ever mattered. Gene Rodenberry?s vision of the future was a place I wanted to be. The first step in that journey was going to space. So, I decided that I wanted to be an astronaut.

Question: How old were you when you picked up your first movie camera?
Answer: Most people say like 5 or 8 is when they picked up their first movie camera, but I was 19. My family is a musical family. So, we all picked up instruments before anything else. I played guitar and my twin brother Christian picked up the trumpet. I eventually stopped playing and began pursuing art; Christian never put his instrument down. Which was a good choice. Now he?s a Grammy Nominated jazz musician and scores all my films.

Question: Who inspired you to pursue your passion for film making?
Answer: It?s everyday people that inspire me to do what it is I do. People are so profound and complex and for some reason we under appreciate each other. My goal as a storyteller is to move people closer to each other, all people. To help people who might feel alone or misunderstood or threatened to know that someone empathizes, someone cares.

Question: What film makers do you most admire?
Answer: The two filmmakers that I admire the most; I have been blessed to meet them both. First is Jonathan Demme. I love his work, Silence of the Lambs, or more recently, Rachel Getting Married are just a few of his wonderful works. But the film that makes me weep the hardest and smile the most is Philadelphia. It is one of the reasons that I make movies. More than anything else this is a film that truly moves its audience and at a very important time asked them to reconsider the status quo. I can only hope to one day be as masterful an artist and as good a person as Jonathan Demme.

The other goes without saying, but I?m going to say it any way. I?ll yell it if I have to. Spike Lee! Or Prof. Lee as I prefer call him. He is the Artistic Director of my program at NYU. He?s one of my mentors. This man is a monster. He works so hard and it?s all to try to and help others. I?ve seen every film he?s made twice at least. I?ve studied him like crazy, but nothing compares to being in a room with the man. When I was working on The Roe Effect I met with Spike several times to have him look at edits of the film. He is amazing. He saw things that nobody else saw, mistakes no else caught. His understanding of storytelling is so sophisticated, yet he can break it down into the simplest most manageable terms. None of this, however, compares to his humanity. Every time I saw him, he was always concerned with how my film could help young people in similar circumstances. I am blessed to know him.

Question: When you submitted your film to the Black Film Festival what did you feel your chances were of winning?
Answer: Actually, I didn?t think about winning. So many films are submitted and so few selected I just wanted to get in. Then once I was in the festival and saw the films in competition screen that first night, I stopped thinking about winning. The other filmmakers, my homie Rashaad Ernesto Green, Randy Wilkin, Derrick Anthony, Sharon Lewis, they are all amazing filmmakers. I was just in aw of the level of talent, so winning took a back seat to what I felt could learn from the experience as a whole.

Question: How difficult was it for you to decide on a story topic?
Answer: Soooooooooo difficult! I?m writing several projects as we speak and I?m like a crazy person. I walk around talking to myself. My twin brother laughs at me all the time. Choosing to tell The Roe Effect was no different. It?s a very emotional tale and it?s painful stuff. With The Roe Effect I knew I had to tell it even though it hurt to do so because the subject matter is so important. One thing that helps me is to ask myself ?If this were the last thing anyone would ever here me say would I be comfortable with that?? If the answer is yes then I move forward.

Question: How did you know this one was the winner?
Answer: I didn?t I just knew it was important. So many women deal with psychological and physical forms of abuse and I don?t think there are enough films out there that explore these issues. Frankly, I don?t think there are enough complex female characters out there in general. That?s a problem in and of itself.

Question: Tell us what thoughts crossed your mind win you heard you were the winner?
Answer: I didn?t believe it at first, but then I saw my mother looking at me like she knew it all along. Then and only then did it become real. Then as I was walking up to the stage I realized that this win would give so many of us who worked on the film the opportunity to do more work. And at the end of the day that?s all we want, to keep telling stories.

Question: Did you have a speech prepared?
Answer: No speech. I?m not that dude. I just went up and spoke from the heart. I was definitely nervous though. I belong behind the camera, not in front of it.

Question: When did it actually sink in that you won?
Answer: I think it had to be when I called my leading lady, Nia Fairweather. She worked so hard to bring Dawn to life. People always tell me about how harrowing a tale The Roe Effect is. Imagine how hard it had to be to play Dawn. There were times on set where watching Nia work would have the whole crew in tears. She was unable to make it to the festival because she was in New York working with the Labyrinth Theater Company. She was pretty heartbroken about being unable to attend. So she was the first person I called when we won. Her response to the news made the entire experience really sink in.

Question: What's next Kiel?
Answer: I?m currently writing my first features. One is the feature version of The Roe Effect. The other is set in my hometown and is entitled Crescent City Connection. It?s a tale of survival that centers around a young man who learns the error of his ways and tries to find redemption during the events of Hurricane Katrina.

Question: Where does Kiel see himself ten years from now?
Answer: I just want to be able to tell stories. I pray that I am fortunate enough to continue making films that people find relevant, and are moved by.

Question: What advice would you give to other aspiring film makers?
Answer: Wow. I don?t know. This is a cliché but I think it?s so true. ?Trust your instincts.? They won?t lead you astray. All they will do is help you to make the kind of movies you want to see. Think of it like this. If you?re at a restaurant and you hear that the cook hates the food he makes then you probably won?t like it either. I think films work the same way. Make the movies you want to see. Those will be the movies we all want to watch.

After College, Kiel decided to return home to New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina however ravished Kiel?s hometown, destroying not only Kiel?s home and possessions but displaced his community and irrevocably damaged the infrastructure of its collective memory as well. With no home to return to Kiel sought refuge in his newfound love for film.

Kiel is currently a Masters Candidate and Dean?s Fellow in New York University?s graduate film program. He has just finished ?The Roe Effect? a narrative short that he both wrote and directed.

This summer Kiel has been in the process of developing his first two feature films. One is based on his award winning short film The Roe Effect. The other screenplay is a tale of survival and redemption set in his hometown of New Orleans during the events of Hurricane Katrina. It is entitled Crescent City Connection.


Kiel Adrian Scott
Writer - Director
KielAdrian@Gmail.com

OmniAmerican Pictures, New york, NY 10027