curriculum vitae (C.V.)
KIRA POWELL
EDUCATION
American Film Institute – MFA, Directing, 2024
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
The Second Child (Feature in Development) – Writer-Director. Set in Boston, 1995. Selected for Cine Qua Non Storylines Lab.
Best Eyes (Short, AFI Conservatory, 2024) – Director, Co-Writer. NAACP Image Awards nominee, DGA Student Film Jury Award; selected festivals.: AFI Fest, LALIFF, Urbanworld, Maryland Film Festival.
Borders (Short, Drama/Experimental, 2024) – Co-Director, Co-Writer. Grand Jury Prize – Best Narrative Short, Awareness Film Festival (2025); selected festivals: Tallgrass, Black Harvest.
The Good Mother (Short, Psychological Horror, 2023) – Director, Writer; Premiere: Screamfest Horror Film Festival.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Nominated, 57th NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Short Form (Live Action) — Best Eyes, 2026
Winner, Best Narrative Short, Compton Film Festival, Best Eyes, 2026
Winner, 1st Prize – AAFCA/LEJA Afro-Latino Short Film Competition, Best Eyes, 2025
Winner, Best Student Film – Georgia Latino International Film Festival, Best Eyes, 2025
Winner, Grand Jury Prize, Best Narrative Short – Awareness Film Festival, Borders, 2025
Runner-Up, Best Student Short – Denton Black Film Festival, Best Eyes, 2025
Winner, DGA Student Film Jury Award, Outstanding Directorial Achievement—The Directors Guild of America, Best Eyes, 2024
Winner, Soaring Solo Social Impact Award - Hollywood Fringe Festival, Caught In The Mix, 2021
Winner, Best of Broadwater - Hollywood Fringe Festival, Caught In The Mix, 2021.
LABS, FELLOWSHIPS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Cine Qua Non Lab — Storylines Lab, The Second Child (Feature), 2026.
Alliance of Women Directors— Blocking Brilliance: Honoring Trailblazing Women of Color Directors — Live Scene Director, masterclass with Neema Barnette, 2026
The Gotham — Accountability Sprint: Artist Statements, 2025.
Sundance Institute – Feature Film Development Track, Second-Round, Best Eyes (Feature), 2025.
Sundance Institute – Cultural Impact Residency, Finalist, Best Eyes (Feature), 2025.
Athena Film Festival Writers Lab – Shortlisted, Best Eyes (Feature), 2025.
SCHOLARSHIPS & ARTIST SUPPORT
Perenchio Family Endowed Scholarship — AFI Conservatory, 2024
Gary Winick Scholarship — AFI Conservatory, 2023
Scott Patterson Scholarship — AFI Conservatory, 2023
SAG-AFTRA Foundation Dales Scholarship, 2022
Hollywood Fringe Festival Diversity Scholarship — Caught in the Mix, 2021
SELECTED FESTIVALS & EXHIBITIONS
AFI Fest · Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival · Urbanworld Film Festival · Maryland Film Festival · Tallgrass Film Festival · Black Harvest Film Festival · Screamfest Horror Film Festival · Micheaux Film Festival · San Diego Latino Film Festival· Roxbury International Film Festival· Seattle Black Film Festival· Philadelphia Latino Film Festival · Denton Black Film Festival· Afro-Latino Film Festival · Georgia Latino International Film Festival · Compton Film Festival · Awareness Film Festival
SPECIAL SCREENINGS & PRESENTATIONS
Best Eyes — AAFCA/LEJA Afro-Latino Short Film Competition Screening & Reception, presented by Lexus, 2025.
Best Eyes — Special Presentation, Kultura Con, Mexico City, Mexico 2025.
SELECTED ACTING AND PERFORMANCE
Caught in the Mix (Solo Show, 2021) — Writer, Director, Performer. Award-winning one-woman show exploring Black and Latinx identity and belonging that informed the story and thematic foundation of Best Eyes. Performed at the Broadwater, Santa Monica Playhouse, LA Women’s Theatre Festival, and United Solo.
Supporting, The Endless – dir. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead / Rustic Films. Tribeca premiere; Audience Award winner, AFI Fest.
Co-Star, Scorpion (CBS)
Co-Star, East of La Brea (SXSW-nominated web series)
Lead, The Tree Is Still There (short; EP Val Kilmer, Inner City Shakespeare)
Principal roles in 20+ national commercials (Jif, Pringles, Samsung, Toyota), directors include Larry Charles, John Hillcoat, Wayne McClammy, and Nicolai Fuglsig.
Theatre (selected): roles in Authority (Echo Theater Company), Law and Order: The Musical, and The Imposter (Atwater Village); work covered by Broadway World and Stage Raw.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Memberships: Film Independent, WIF, SAG-AFTRA, NALIP, Alliance of Women Directors, The Gotham.