Oscar-nominated and Student Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Wilson, Jr., has joined the roster of production house Chelsea for his first career representation in the branded arena.
Wilson made his directorial debut with My Nephew Emmett, which tells the emotional true story of Emmett Till–a Black 14-year-old murdered in Mississippi in 1955–experienced from his uncle’s perspective. Wilson not only directed but also wrote and produced My Nephew Emmett, which was nominated for a Best Live Action Short Film Oscar in 2018. This honor came on the heels of My Nephew Emmett winning the gold medal at the 44th Student Academy Awards, a DGA Student Film Award, and a BAFTA Student Film Award.
“I met Kevin while teaching him at NYU Grad Film School and saw great promise in him as a visual storyteller,” recounts Spike Lee, director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and professor, “He’s grown to become a fine filmmaker with a very strong point of view. His Oscar nominated short film My Nephew Emmett shows his ability to craft a compelling, visual story and speak truth to experiences Black people are confronted with every day. To be able to do both through film requires great talent… I have no doubt that he’s going to go far in this business!”
Wilson attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production while simultaneously producing and debuting My Nephew Emmett. His short has screened at film festivals all over the world including the New York Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and HollyShorts Film Festival. He is currently in development for his debut feature film.
Chelsea president Lisa Mehling said, “We are honored to welcome Kevin to the Chelsea roster. As a writer/director his grace and talent are on full display in his Oscar nominated short My Nephew Emmett. From our very first conversation we were drawn to his passion for the power of storytelling and for what he intends to accomplish as a filmmaker. We were equally struck by his heart, humanity and drive to have an influence.”
In February of 2020, Wilson wrapped production on an Untitled Netflix Documentary Series which is scheduled to be released this winter.
“It’s difficult to put into words how excited I am to be joining the Chelsea family,” exclaimed Wilson, “It’s always been an ambition of mine to find a home where I can express my voice through stories in the branded content space. The artists at Chelsea are already engaged in works that naturally live within the intersection of dynamic, bold visual storytelling and meaningful, passionate messages that resonate long after the commercial is over. That’s the voice I’ve managed to develop over the years and I am so excited to join the ranks of artists whose work I already have an immense amount of respect and admiration for. Artists like David Gordon Green, Nisha Ganatra, and Nadia Hallgren. I look forward to flexing my visual storytelling muscles at Chelsea and continuing to grow as an artist while making some fun and resonant commercials!”
Wilson is an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
“I was immediately captivated by Kevin’s work, drawn to the breathtaking cinematic film palette and pacing of the narrative in My Nephew Emmett,” affirmed Denise Blate Roederer, founder of talent management company RHODA which handles Chelsea on the East Coast. He is a serious young talent with integrity, keen eye for artistry, passion for storytelling and heart of human gold.”
