Just named by OUT Magazine as one of 2008’s most influential Gay Americans, actor/director Maurice Jamal burst on the scene in the mid- to late 2000 ringing a loud bell as a contemporary African-American storyteller, willing to push film’s boundaries in regards to gender, sexuality and race. Like Spike Lee a generation before him, Jamal struck a fiercely independent and powerful cinematic voice. His first three films have broke new ground and made history. Jamal’s compelling storytelling has earned him numerous festival and critics awards and media attention not normally seen for an emerging director. He has been profiled on CNN, TV One, CBS News, AOL Black Voices and in Monarch, OUT, The Advocate, Hollywood Reporter and Variety. Mr. Jamal is also the first openly gay Black actor/writer to be profiled and referred to as a gay American in the mainstream urban media sources BET, Black Enterprise, Ebony and JET.
After the death of a friend on Aaliyah’s plane caused Jamal to reevaluate his life. He moved to New York City in 2001, with no money, no job and no prospects. A dedicated director who has always believed it was important to learn all aspects of filmmaking, his first gig was on the set of Spider-Man where he was hired as a production assistant. He quickly became attached to the special effects and stunts unit and took the opportunity to talk to the Oscar-winning team about the process of making large moments seem intimate and vice-versa. He had a successful career as an assistant director in film and TV including Chappelle’s Show, Third Watch, 100 Centre Street and the September 11th drama The Boys, starring and produced by Sigourney Weaver.
A director, producer, writer, and actor to boot, Maurice Jamal held all of the said roles in multiple projects. His premier effort, The Ski Trip (2005) told a poignant and often riotous tale about a group of close-knit friends who take an eventful and memorable winter vacation. The film was shot for only $10K in just 10 days! It played to sold out crowds on the festival circuit and was acquired by MTV Networks as a cornerstone of the launch for its LOGO Network. It made history as the first Black and Latino film on it’s kind to been broadcast nationally.
His follow-up was the acclaimed and successful Dirty Laundry (2007) a semi-autobiographical bittersweet domestic comedy about an urbane magazine writer (Rockmond Dunbar) returning to his small Southern hometown. The film won festival wards across the country and was picked up for national theatrical distribution by FOX Pictures and Codeblack Entertainment. The film made history as the first Black, gay-themed mainstream film to receive national distribution. In the film, Jamal showed his considerable skills as a modern storyteller who is able to draw out nuanced performances and balance it with layered writing and technical skill.
This year brings the debut of another first, Friends and Lovers (2008). This satirical soap opera is the first to feature a multiracial cast, crossing all orientations and genders. The project made waves in the film festival circuit this summer and is currently in negotiation.
Up next: The feature film adaptation of James Earl Hardy’s B-Boy Blues (2008), a gay themed social commentary show The Gayest Sh*t I Ever Heard (2008) and the mainstream gangster film Ghost (2009).