Biographie
Ya'Ke Smith, recognized for his bold and truthful storytelling, is an emerging talent in independent cinema.
His films have garnered international acclaim, screening at and winning awards from over 100 film festivals. He has been honored by the Director's Guild of America, the Student Academy Awards, HBO, Showtime, the City of Buffalo, NY—which declared February 23, 2013, as Ya'Ke Smith Day—and the City of Cincinnati, OH, which proclaimed October 6, 2019, as Ya'Ke Smith Day. His short film, KATRINA'S SON, was featured in more than 40 festivals and won 14 awards. It was also eligible for the 2012 Academy Award in the short film category. His first feature film, WOLF, praised by NPR as "an impressive piece by a young director," premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and continued to screen and win awards at festivals across North America. It is now available for download through various VOD platforms. Ya'Ke's film DAWN. premiered on HBO in February 2015 and aired on the network for two years. It was also streamed as part of Issa Rae's Short Film Sunday series on her YouTube channel. His web series, THE BEGINNING AND ENDING OF EVERYTHING, is currently streaming on the digital platform A Space for Creators. Ya'Ke has three projects circulating in the film festival scene—BROTHER, EDWIN, and THE PANDEMIC CHRONICLES—all of which have received top honors at festivals throughout the U.S. THE PANDEMIC CHRONICLES is presently distributed by Full Spectrum Features. He recently directed an episode of the BET series TALES.
Ya'Ke has been featured on NPR, CNN, HLN, Ebony Online, Indiewire, Filmmaker Magazine, Variety, Vogue, and Shadow&Act.
He earned his B.A. from the Communication Arts Department at the University of the Incarnate Word, where he later became the youngest recipient of the Alumni of Distinction for Professional Achievement award. He holds an M.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin's film program, where he currently serves as an Associate Professor of film and the Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Moody College of Communication. Previously, he was the Morgan Woodward Distinguished Professor of Film at the University of Texas at Arlington. Variety named him one of the best film educators worldwide.
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