Tayarisha Poe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tayarisha Poe
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| Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Swarthmore College (BA) |
| Occupation | Writer, director |
| Years active | 2014–present |
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Notable work
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Selah and the Spades |
Tayarisha Poe is an American writer and director. She is known for her creative films. Her first big movie, Selah and the Spades, won an award at the 2019 BlackStar Film Festival. It also showed for the first time at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
Poe's second film, The Young Wife, was shown at the 2023 South by Southwest film festival.
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About Tayarisha Poe's Life and Career
Tayarisha Poe was born and grew up in West Philadelphia. She went to the Peddie School in New Jersey. Later, she earned her bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College in 2012.
At first, Tayarisha wanted to become a lawyer. But while in college, she became very interested in making movies. She learned a lot from other filmmakers like Terence Nance, Anna Rose Holmer, and Kasi Lemmons. They helped her become the director she is today.
Making Selah and the Spades
Tayarisha Poe's first movie as a director and writer was Selah and the Spades. It was shown for the first time at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Then, it was released on Amazon Prime Video in 2020.
The idea for this film started in 2014. Tayarisha began posting photos, short videos, and stories online. Her unique way of telling stories, which didn't follow a straight timeline, became very popular. Director Terence Nance even agreed to help produce the movie. In 2016, the Sundance Institute helped her develop the film. Selah and the Spades stars actors like Lovie Simone, Jharrel Jerome, and Celeste O'Connor. Most people who saw the movie really liked it.
Her Second Film: The Young Wife
Tayarisha Poe's second movie is called The Young Wife. It stars famous actors such as Kiersey Clemons, Judith Light, Leon Bridges, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Kelly Marie Tran. This film was shown at the South by Southwest festival in March 2023.
Critics really enjoyed The Young Wife. They praised how the movie looked and how natural the script felt. They also loved the acting performances.
Tayarisha Poe's Filmography
Tayarisha Poe has worked on several films and television shows.
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Selah and the Spades | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2023 | The Young Wife | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Television
| Year | Title | Episode(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Two Sentence Horror Stories | "Tutorial" |
| "Little Monsters" | ||
| 2020 | The Twilight Zone | "Among the Untrodden" |
| 2021 | Dave | "Somebody Date Me" |
Awards and Nominations
Tayarisha Poe has received recognition for her work in filmmaking.
- In 2015, Filmmaker magazine named her one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film."
- In 2019, Variety magazine listed her as one of the "10 Directors to Watch."
She has also won or been nominated for several awards for her film Selah and the Spades:
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | BlackStar Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Selah and the Spades | Won | |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | Directors to Watch | Won | |||
| Sundance Film Festival | NEXT Innovator Award | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Indiana Film Journalists Association | Breakout of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2021 | Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards | Best Picture | Nominated |
