Dream Hampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
dream hampton
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 1972 |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Surviving R. Kelly (2019 documentary series) |
dream hampton (who writes her name in lowercase letters) is an American filmmaker, producer, and writer. She is known for creating powerful documentaries and stories. Her work includes the 2019 TV series Surviving R. Kelly, which she helped produce. She also worked on the 2012 film An Oversimplification of Her Beauty. In 2010, she helped write the book Decoded with the famous musician Jay-Z.
Contents
Early Life and Education
dream hampton was born in Detroit in 1972. Her family is African American. She has shared that her parents named her after Rev. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. She chooses to write her name in all lowercase letters as a way to honor the author bell hooks. She studied filmmaking at New York University, where she learned how to make movies.
Career Highlights
dream hampton has written for many popular magazines. These include Vibe, Essence, Harper's Bazaar, and Spin. She also helped write Jay-Z's book, Decoded, which came out in 2010.
Activism and Documentary Films
As part of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, dream hampton helped organize "Black August." This was a special concert event to support important causes. Her film about this concert, called Black August: A Hip-Hop Documentary Concert, was shown at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 2010.
In 2013, hampton directed a documentary called Treasure. This film told the story of Shelley Hilliard, a young transgender woman from Detroit. She also made a short film called We Demand Justice for Renisha Mcbride. This film followed a protest she helped organize after Renisha Mcbride's death.
Surviving R. Kelly Documentary
dream hampton was the main producer for Surviving R. Kelly. This was a 2019 documentary series that brought attention to serious issues. After the series was released, it led to important investigations. The series received a lot of attention and helped bring about legal action.
Teaching and Advocacy Work
hampton has also been a Visiting Artist at Stanford University. She was part of Stanford's Institute for Diversity in the Arts. She also received a Kresge Artist Fellow award. As of 2020, dream hampton was a board member for Color of Change. This group works to make sure all people are treated fairly.
Awards and Recognition
dream hampton's short film I Am Ali was chosen for the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. It also won "Best Short Film" at the Newport Film Festival.
In 2015, she received a Richard Nichols Luminary award. Her film Treasure: From Tragedy to Trans Justice Mapping a Detroit Story won Best Documentary at the BlackStar Film Festival.
In 2019, hampton received a Ms. Foundation Gloria Award. She was also named one of the Time 100 most influential people. She and her colleagues, Brie Miranda Bryant and Tamra Simmons, were recognized on Variety's 2019 Power Women New York list.
The documentary Surviving R. Kelly received several major awards. It won a Peabody Award and an MTV Movie Award for Best Documentary. It also received a Rockies Award for "Program of the Year" at the Banff World Media Festival.
In 2023, she was chosen for a special residency at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center. In 2024, The New Museum selected her as the Stuart Regen Visionary. This award honors people who have made big contributions to art and culture.
Filmography
- Behind The Music: The Notorious B.I.G. (1997), associate producer
- I Am Ali (2002), director
- Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life (2007), executive producer
- Black August: A Hip-Hop Documentary Concert (2010), director
- QueenS (2012 music video) by recording artists THEESatisfaction
- An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (2012), co-executive producer
- The Russian Winter (2012), associate producer
- Treasure: From Tragedy to Trans Justice Mapping a Detroit Story (2015), executive producer
- We Demand Justice for Renisha Mcbride
- The War on Drugs is an Epic Fail (New York Times 2016)
- It's A Hard Truth Ain't It (HBO 2019), executive producer
- Finding Justice (BET 2019), executive producer
- Burial of Kojo (Netflix 2019), co-executive producer
- Surviving R. Kelly (2019), executive producer
- We Hold These Truths (2022), director
- Freshwater (2022), director
- Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop (2023), director, executive producer
- It Was All A Dream (2024), director
See also
