Q&A with editor Ephraim Kirkwood and AE Francesca Sharper moderated by Malikkah Rollins
George Anthony Morton is a classical painter who spent ten years in federal prison for dealing drugs. While incarcerated, he nurtured his craft and unique artistic ability. Since his release, he is doing everything he can to defy society’s unlevel playing field and tackle the white-dominant art world. Now, he is on a journey back to his hometown of Kansas City, where he tries to heal the broken relationship with his mother and paint family members in the style of the Dutch Old Masters. Going back home forces George to face his past in his quest to rewrite the script of his life and discover the contribution of African influences to the realist tradition.
Ephraim Kirkwood is a New York based filmmaker whose editing credits include the Emmy nominated docu-series Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, the Peabody award winning Netflix series High On The Hog, and the SXSW 2022 Grand Jury Award winning feature film Master Of Light. His other editorial contributions include the award winning ESPN 30 For 30 series, the HBO original special Between The World And Me, and the HULU six-part limited docu-series The 1619 Project.
Malikkah Rollins is the Director of Industry and Education at DOC NYC, the largest documentary film festival in the U.S. Malikkah brings 15 years of education experience to her DOC NYC role. She is a former Sundance Collab Community Leader, D Word Ambassador, and is on the board of Women in Film and Video/DC. As a mental health professional for a decade, she recently co-founded DocuMentality, an initiative designed to elevate the conversation around mental health in the documentary community. Malikkah was an independent doc producer for 6 years. She spends her spare time plotting her next international travel adventure.
Francesca Sharper (she/her) is an emerging editor based in Brooklyn, New York. After working as an assistant editor in ads and reality TV for the early part of her career, Francesca has been working in documentary for four years. Her credits include the Peabody award winning Netflix series High On The Hog, the SXSW 2022 Grand Jury Award winning feature film Master Of Light, the highly anticipated vérité documentary Razing Liberty Square premiering this Spring at the 2023 Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, and the forthcoming Netflix documentary film Stamped From the Beginning, based on the bestselling book by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, and directed by Roger Ross Williams.