Bicoastal production company Greenpoint Pictures has added filmmaker Edward Buckles Jr. (Buck) to its directorial roster for his first U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content.
Buck thrives on finding innovative ways to share the stories of Black communities that would otherwise be lost. His company, House of the Young Ent.–regarded as a beacon in the New Orleans art community and a platform for the culture and the city–was awarded the New Orleans Film Society’s Rising Star Award. Buckles’ 2022 debut documentary, Katrina Babies, was co-produced with TIME Studios and distributed through HBO, earning him a spot on DOC NYC’s 40 under 40.
Katrina Babies made its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Festival where it earned Buckles the Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director. Katrina Babies is a first-person account of the short-term and long-term devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, as told by young people who were between the ages of 3 and 19 when the levees broke.
Buckles’ work in branded fare includes a film for Netflix in which fellow New Orleans native Big Freedia remixes audio from the streamer’s “Hey Queen” campaign to create an original track promoting the series Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The corresponding video directed by Buck serves as a nod to the significance of HBCU royal court culture and is a love letter to the rich history of New Orleans. He brought his eye as a documentarian to collaborate on branded films with Teen Vogue and Crown Royal, as well as an Adidas campaign profiling Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter’s work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Buck said of Greenpoint Pictures, “I admire the human-centered work they do across the board, but especially with their branded content. The humanity behind filmmaking is something I try to keep central to my work, so as I move into the world of advertising, it’s good to know the company that represents me shares those same artistic values.”
Greenpoint Pictures’ executive producer Leah Donnenberg Ramia said, “When I first watched Buck’s feature film, Katrina Babies, I knew we had to work together. Every choice he makes from the gripping opening shots to the poignant, unexpected ending is a stunning combination of raw humanity and precise design.” Donnenberg Ramia added, “Buck is incredibly grounded as a person and as a director, but he also has exquisite taste in everything from fine art to fashion to food. It’s no wonder he’s able to drill into the heart of each story he tells and with such intention and style, too. We look forward to what’s to come with this collaborative relationship, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for Buck. And if you haven’t seen it already, definitely add Katrina Babies to your watchlist.”
