Meet Dariae Willis: Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dariae Willis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dariae, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
At the young age of twenty years old, I am in love with taking risks. Risk to me is when someone dives into a new journey with only faith that the outcome will be the best one for you as an individual. I love taking risks as a student because it allows me to explore the various paths that life offers me. I chose to attend a liberal art historically Black college and study documentary filmmaking in the heart of Atlanta at Spelman College. I was unsure of how my parents would pay for all four years or even if the one-year-old film program at Spelman could teach me all the skills needed to become a well-rounded filmmaker. Three years into the filmmaking program and I am the most confident I have been in my life as a filmmaker and as an emerging adult.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a filmmaker who enjoys creating documentary and narrative work. My art often focuses on Black joy and youth, emphasizing the various coming of age stories within the Black community. The art that I produce is unique in that although my subjects are Black people, my stories focus on who they are as individuals and as young people easing into adulthood. As a rising senior at Spelman College, I am proud of my junior year films because both dive into what it means to be a youth in the 21st century. The biggest advice I learned as a new filmmaker is that you have to socialize and extend kindness to as many people as possible because that is your professional network. Work horizontally with your peers and join local film projects to build a resume and industry skills. For myself, learning how to be social and a team player took three years of practice as I have always been shy. I overcame my shyness by studying the craft of filmmaking and placing myself around people that are open to learning, and teaching others the ins and outs of visual storytelling. A lesson I learned along the way was that I have all the skills and tools I need right now to create a story and that people will believe in you once you believe in yourself enough to start and finish your film. As a brand, my work is rooted in community, joy, and originality and all three of these are always present in the work I create.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you are coming down to Atlanta for the weekend, I have several spots that you may want to check out for a fun time. If you are a lover of skating and picnics, go to Historic Old Fourth Ward Park. The skate scene is amazing, and they have tunnels filled with cool graffiti to admire or spice up your Instagram. Only minutes away from Historic Old Fourth Ward Park is Slutty Vegan, which serves up various delicious burgers with a Beyond Meat patty. One of my favorite parks in the Atlanta area is Piedmont Park, which offers various trails and casual fun to enjoy. Don’t forget to stop by and visit the High Museum of Art for under twenty dollars and see art from all over the world. Ponce City Market is a great place to check out with friends as it has shopping centers, including a fun place to buy plants and get some delicious food.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout to my professors that mentor me at Spelman College and a special thanks to Professor Julie Dash, Professor Anjanette Levert, and Professor Alexxxis Jackson. These three professors in Spelman College’s film department molded me into the strong and confident filmmaker I am today. I would also like to shout out the AUC Camera Collective, a student art and activism organization that works to develop the creative skills of passionate youth within the Atlanta University Consortium and provide community service within the Metro Atlanta area. I now serve as Outreach Manager of the AUC Camera Collective for the 2020-2021 academic year and have worked on various projects, including a promotional giveaway collaboration with WarnerBros Media. At last, I want to give a huge shoutout to the Junior documentary filmmaking majors at Spelman College for building a strong film community with me and being dedicated to the craft of storytelling.

Website: https://dwill185.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariaewillis/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariaewillis/

Image Credits
Photos were taken by Jaimie Crawford and Shaienne Knox Artist is Edith C.