B-Reel Films has added queer, Two Spirit, Xicanx artist, director and photographer Devyn Galindo to its talent roster. This marks Galindo’s first official signing as a director.
Galindo identifies as Two-Spirit, an indigenous term that describes a third gender with both masculine and feminine traits, and Galindo goes by she/her and nonbinary pronouns (they/them.) Galindo prioritizes artistry, and allows that to enrich and inform their ad work, endeavoring to inject poetry into every frame. Above all, they aim to pave a path towards mindfulness in the commercial space, something which brands can only find appealing as they evolve and become more conscious of accountability.
“I’m interested in partnering with brands to help them elevate their outreach to QTPOC and LGBTQIA+ people beyond slapping a rainbow on a T-shirt,” Galindo explained. “That’s why I’m in the room. Advertising is a big platform with a big responsibility, and putting the camera in the hands of people who are responsible is the first step.”
When it comes to Galindo’s portfolio of still and motion photography, the boundary between commercial and personal is blurred. Some of their notable ad campaigns include “More Color, More Pride” for Converse and “We Belong to Something Beautiful” for Sephora–both of which champion queer beauty and underrepresented stories with dignity and intimacy. Other clients Galindo has worked with include Vogue, i-D, Dove, Nike, Benefit Cosmetics, Tidal, Red Bull Music, RocNation, Champion, Tommy Hilfiger, Converse, Superga, and Fila.
Recently Galindo has been on the road working on her photography series, The Van Dykes Project, inspired by the caravan of Dyke activists which traveled the U.S. and Mexico during the 1970s, seeking a life of radical rebellion and feminist empowerment. Sweet Pea, Galindo’s ’78 VW camper van, works as a traveling studio, with Galindo documenting stories from LGBTQIA+ folks from around the U.S. in order to preserve queer oral history for future generations.
By joining B-Reel Films' Stockholm and Los Angeles-based directorial roster, Galindo will continue to champion the narratives of people of color, and the queer community to help create a deeper impact within the modern storytelling landscape. Galindo’s upcoming motion work spans short films, ad campaigns and music videos, including a new piece for transgender activist Shea Diamond’s new song “Smile,” which centers around queer and trans resilience and joy, and is set to release for Pride 2021.
Of Galindo’s work, B-Reel managing director/executive producer Michael McQuhae stated, “It’s fresh — I can see Devyn’s cinematic eye very clearly, how she frames people and has a strong opinion. Getting to know who Devyn is as well–it’s super inspiring. From the moment we saw her work, everyone across the offices of BR•F was fully on board. As a whole, we couldn’t be more excited about the signing.”
Review: Malcolm Washington Makes His Feature Directing Debut With “The Piano Lesson”
An heirloom piano takes on immense significance for one family in 1936 Pittsburgh in August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson." Generational ties also permeate the film adaptation, in which Malcolm Washington follows in his father Denzel Washington's footsteps in helping to bring the entirety of The Pittsburgh Cycle — a series of 10 plays — to the screen.
Malcolm Washington did not start from scratch in his accomplished feature filmmaking debut. He enlisted much of the cast from the recent Broadway revival with Samuel L. Jackson (Doaker Charles), his brother, John David Washington (Boy Willie), Ray Fisher (Lymon) and Michael Potts (Whining Boy). Berniece, played by Danielle Brooks in the play, is now beautifully portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler. With such rich material and a cast for whom it's second nature, it would be hard, one imagines, to go wrong. Jackson's own history with the play goes back to its original run in 1987 when he was Boy Willie.
It's not the simplest thing to make a play feel cinematic, but Malcolm Washington was up to the task. His film opens up the world of the Charles family beyond the living room. In fact, this adaptation, which Washington co-wrote with "Mudbound" screenwriter Virgil Williams, goes beyond Wilson's text and shows us the past and the origins of the intricately engraved piano that's central to all the fuss. It even opens on a big, action-filled set piece in 1911, during which the piano is stolen from a white family's home. Another fleshes out Doaker's monologue in which he explains to the uninitiated, Fisher's Lymon, and the audience, the tortured history of the thing. While it might have been nice to keep the camera on Jackson, such a great, grounding presence throughout, the good news is that he really makes... Read More