LOS ANGELES — Winning an Oscar is one of the biggest honors in show business, and some people in Hollywood spend their entire careers trying to bring it home.
Misan Harriman, who just made his directorial debut, has already been nominated for Best Live-Action Short Film for The After, which premiered worldwide on Netflix.
This is exciting for filmmaker Zuri Willimas, who says her life's passion is working as part of a team that makes films that question the norm.
“That's kind of what the filmmakers ultimately want to do,” he explained. “They see something and get inspired and want to put it out there so people can talk about it and ask questions.”
That's what brought him and fellow director Daniel Kelly to downtown Los Angeles to shoot establishing shots for “A Business Man,” a short film about a business executive who becomes homeless after being exiled from the business world.
“I've been making films with friends since I was a little kid, and a lot of this film was made with close friends,” Kelly said of why this short story was so important to him.
He said he wanted to spread a message of anti-greed and humanitarianism through this project.
That same desire to make a lasting impact led renowned photographer and social activist Misan Harriman to earn an Oscar nomination for his directorial debut with The After.
Premiering globally on Netflix, this powerful story tells the story of a Londoner who must reconnect with himself and his society after a devastating disaster.
Harriman says he came up with the story while grappling with his own trauma that came to the fore in the midst of the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd.
“I thought, what can I do to be there for people who are suffering? Help people recognize their invisible scars and realize that it means they are human. How can we help people understand? How can we help people find ways to pick themselves back up?'' Harriman explained.
He said he was worried that the story would resonate deeply with the public, showing that people were truly hurting.
The self-taught photographer and director says he had no training before making this short film, but he is an expert on emotions.
“I felt like I was the conductor of a symphony,” he added.
That's why, Academy Award or not, Harriman feels like he's already won. That's why he encourages the next generation of young filmmakers like Zuri to make work that is meaningful to everyone who sees it.
“It definitely gives me hope as an up-and-coming filmmaker,” Williams said.
Harriman was the first black photographer to shoot the cover of British Vogue magazine's September issue.
“The After” was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award.