Yance Ford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yance Ford
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Yance Ford at the 2017 Montclair Film Festival
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| Alma mater | Hamilton College |
| Occupation | Director, film producer |
Yance Ford is an amazing African-American transgender producer and director. He is known for making powerful films, especially documentaries. A producer helps make sure a film gets made, and a director guides the actors and crew to tell the story.
Contents
Yance Ford's Journey
Yance Ford finished his studies at Hamilton College in 1994. After college, he started working in television.
Early Career in TV
From 2002, Yance worked for ten years at PBS. PBS is a public TV network known for its educational shows and documentaries. He was a series producer there, which means he helped create and manage many TV shows.
Recognized for Talent
In 2011, Filmmaker magazine named him one of their "25 New Faces of Independent Film." This award highlights new and exciting filmmakers who are making their own unique movies. He also received a special fellowship from MacDowell, which helps artists focus on their creative projects.
In 2017, Yance was listed on The Root 100. This list celebrates the most influential African Americans between the ages of 25 and 45.
Making Strong Island
One of Yance Ford's most famous works is the documentary film Strong Island. He both produced and directed this important movie.
Award-Winning Documentary
In 2018, Yance Ford and his co-producer, Joslyn Barnes, were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are very famous awards for movies. This nomination was a big deal! Yance became the first openly transgender man to be nominated for any Academy Award. He was also the first openly transgender director to get an Oscar nomination.
Later in 2018, Yance and Joslyn Barnes won an Emmy Award for Strong Island. An Emmy is a top award for television shows. This made Yance the first openly transgender man and the first Black openly transgender person to win an Emmy. He was also the first openly transgender filmmaker to win a Creative Arts Emmy.
The Story of Strong Island
Strong Island tells the story of Yance Ford's own family. It focuses on the murder of his brother, William Ford, which happened in 1992. The film explores how this event affected his family and the justice system.
Other Projects and Awards
Yance Ford has also received a Creative Capital Award. This award helps artists create new and exciting projects. He also got a Sundance Documentary Film Program Fellowship, which supports documentary filmmakers.
In 2020, Yance directed an episode of a documentary series called Trial By Media. His episode, titled "Blago!", was about the media attention surrounding the court case of a politician named Rod Blagojevich, who was once the Governor of Illinois.
See also
- List of LGBT firsts by year
- List of LGBT Academy Award winners and nominees
- List of transgender film and television directors
