Faculty Profile for Mr. Kenya Jeremiah Gillespie
Mr. Kenya Jeremiah Gillespie
Lecturer — Department of Theatre & Dance
THEA 101
phone: (512) 245-2147
Biography Section
Biography and Education
Kenya Gillespie is a Japanese American filmmaker and composer based in Austin, TX. His narrative short film JEREMIAH received its international premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival (Cinéfondation) where it was nominated for the short film Queer Palm. It won Best Score at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and was nominated for the Jury Prize for Best American Short Film at the Champs Élysées Film Festival. He was also nominated for the 2019 Kodak Excellence in the Craft of Filmmaking Award and is a three-time recipient of an Austin Film Society Grant for JEREMIAH, his narrative short MICHELLE, and his most recent narrative short GIVE. His films have screened at numerous festivals around the world.Kenya received an MFA in Film & Media Production from the University of Texas at Austin. He also received an MM in music composition from Rice University and a BA in music from Yale University.
Selected Scholarly/Creative Work
- Give. 2022.
- Writer, Director, Producer, Composer, Editor, Give. September 2019 - November 2022.
- Writer, Director, Editor, Composer, Michelle.
August 2018 - May 2019.
Showings:
- Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. 2020
- Austin Film Festival. 2020
- HollyShorts Film Festival. 2020
- CAAMFest. 2021
- Oak Cliff Film Festival. 2021
- Montclair Film Festival. 2020
- Aesthetica Short Film Festival. 2020
- Asian American International Film Festival. 2021
- Tallgrass Film Festival. 2020
- San Diego Asian Film Festival. 2020
- Boston Asian American Film Festival. 2020
- El Paso Film Festival. 2020
- Writer, Director, Composer, Editor, Sound Designer, Jeremiah.
September 2017 - May 2018.
Showings:
- Cannes Film Festival (Cinéfondation). May 2019
- Fantastic Fest. 2019
- Cleveland International Film Festival. 2019
- Outfest LA. 2019
- Nashville Film Festival. 2019
- Toronto Inside Out LGBT Film Festival. 2019
- Champs Élysées Film Festival. 2019
- Sidewalk Film Festival. 2019
- NewFest. 2019
- Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. 2019
- Oak Cliff Film Festival. 2019
- Akbank Short Film Festival. 2019
- Vancouver Queer Film Festival. 2019
- Taiwan International Queer Film Festival. 2019
- Spokane International Film Festival. 2019
- New Renaissance Film Festival Amsterdam. 2019
- KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. 2019
- Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival. 2019
- North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. 2019
- Eureka University Film Festival. 2019
- Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival. 2019
- Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival. 2019
- San Diego Asian Film Festival. 2019
- Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival. 2019
- Sohome Horror Film Festival. 2020
- El Paso Film Festival. 2020
- Stuff MX Film Festival. 2020
- Writer, Director, Editor, The Crystal City.
August 2017 - December 2017.
Showings:
- St. Louis International Film Festival. 2018
- Tallgrass Film Festival. 2018
- San Diego Asian Film Festival. 2018
- Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. 2018
- Oak Cliff Film Festival. 2018
- Fastnet Film Festival. 2019
- Nichi Bei Foundation’s Films of Remembrance. 2019
- Tadaima Virtual Pilgrimage Film Festival. 2020
Selected Awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Austin Film Society Grant for GIVE, Austin Film Society. December 2022
- Award / Honor Recipient: Best Score for JEREMIAH, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. October 2019
- Award / Honor Recipient: Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival (Cinéfondation). May 2019
- Award / Honor Nominee: Queer Palm, Cannes Film Festival. May 2019
- Award / Honor Recipient: Moody Innovation Grant for GIVE, University of Texas at Austin. August 2021