After 7 seasons, 100+ short screenplays read, and 200+ films programmed, DCFF has met an immense amount of visionary filmmakers, artists and writers. As we look forward to our 8th annual festival (February 26 – March 7, 2021), we’d also like to check in with some of our alumni. This is our ninth installment of “DCFF Alumni: Where Are They Now?” Please check back for future updates and news about our filmmakers and writers.
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LaToya Morgan – 2020 DCFF Director, TEAM MARILYN
LaToya Morgan is a writer, producer and director from Los Angeles whose television writing credits include Shameless (2012), Parenthood (2012-2013) and The Walking Dead (2019). Morgan was twice-nominated for the NAACP’s Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for her work on AMC’s TURN: Washington’s Spies. In April 2020, HBO Max greenlit Duster – a 1970s crime drama series that Morgan is set to co-write and executive produce alongside J.J. Abrams.
On the film side, Morgan’s directorial debut came with Team Marilyn, a narrative short about a politician who must decide how to handle a once-secret scandal that erupts days before a historic presidential election.
In addition to her work on Duster, Morgan will develop, write and produce new television projects under her recently launched company – TinkerToy Productions – as part of an exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television Group. Her sci-fi graphic novel Dark Blood is set for publication by BOOM! Studios in 2021.
Learn more about LaToya Morgan here.
(Photo by Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut)
Wes Hurley – 2017 DCFF Director, LITTLE POTATO
Wes Hurley is a Russian-American writer and filmmaker currently based in Seattle.
In 2014, Hurley’s comedy web series Capitol Hill, a “queer homage to 70s-80s TV shows,” premiered on Huffington Post. Hurley’s autobiographical documentary short Little Potato (co-directed with Nate Miller) won numerous awards, including SXSW’s Jury Prize and an Audience Award at Outfest by HBO.
Potato Dreams of America – a narrative feature film adapted from Little Potato – is currently in post-production with Hurley serving as writer, director and producer. The film chronicles his experience as a closeted gay child in the disintegrating Soviet Union and his adventurous journey to the United States with his mother. The film stars Jonathan Bennett, Dan Lauria and Lauren Tewes.
Learn more about Wes Hurley here.
Part of the non-profit Destiny City Film Festival’s mission is to engage filmmakers, writers, and film-goers through shared experience and storytelling. These connections make our community stronger, and our filmmakers and writers make these experiences possible.
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