Phillip Youmans facts for kids

Phillip Youmans (born February 18, 2000) is a talented American filmmaker. He made history by becoming the first African-American director to win the Founders Prize at the Tribeca Film Festival. He earned this award for his very first movie, Burning Cane, which came out in 2019.

Early Life and Film Dreams

Phillip Youmans grew up in New Orleans, a vibrant city in Louisiana. He discovered his passion for making movies when he was just 13 years old.

He went to two high schools at the same time. These were Benjamin Franklin High School and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. This allowed him to study different subjects.

After high school, Phillip started college at New York University. He completed his first year there in May 2019. However, he later thought about leaving college to focus fully on his filmmaking career.

Making Movies: Burning Cane

Phillip Youmans wrote, filmed, directed, and edited his first full-length movie, Burning Cane. He did all of this when he was only 17 years old and still in high school!

The movie started as a short film called The Glory. Burning Cane tells the story of a woman in rural Louisiana. It shows her relationships with her son and a local preacher. The film also stars and was co-produced by actor Wendell Pierce.

Phillip grew up Baptist. He said that Burning Cane aimed to show how strong religious beliefs can be in the rural South. He funded his film with $2,500 of his own savings. He also got help from an Indiegogo campaign and donations from friends and family.

Awards and Recognition

Burning Cane won big at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. It received the Founders Prize, which is a very important award. The film also won the prize for best cinematography. Cinematography is the art of making the movie look good through camera work.

Phillip Youmans made history at this festival. He is the first African-American director to win the Founders Prize. He is also the youngest director ever to have a film accepted into the Tribeca Film Festival.

Phillip has announced his plans for his next movie. It will be about the Black Panther chapter in New Orleans during 1978.

Awards and Nominations