Director/Creator Desmond Faison has lived on the periphery of the quintessential American experience for the majority of his life. Born and raised in the inner city of Portland, Oregon in the mid-1990s, he has navigated a diverse array of experiences that few individuals can claim to have encountered.
As an undersized elementary-age child with a debilitating speech impediment, Faison was transported 30 minutes by bus daily to an all-white elementary school, a stark contrast to his predominantly African American neighborhood. As he overcame his disability, he attended high school in his gang and drug-ridden, North-East Portland, neighborhood, where he emerged as a star football player.
Faison's college experience was marked by a series of transitions, starting at an Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in rural Langston, Oklahoma, before relocating to the rural, agriculture-based, and economically depressed California Central Valley Junior College. His collegiate football career eventually took him to Montana State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human & Family Science.
It wasn't until after college that Faison discovered his true passion and calling in the arts, revealing a natural talent for creativity. His abilities eventually led him to settle in Los Angeles, California, where he has resided and worked in the TV & Film industry for nearly two decades.
Throughout his life, Faison has spent time in the trenches, immersing himself in environments where nearly everyone around him shared his background. He has witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on families in forgotten areas of America, places that are often overlooked by the mainstream media. He has also seen how fear can fester and proliferate in homogeneous communities, left unaddressed.
From being the quiet, vulnerable child in the "special needs" classes to the shy teenager thrust into popularity, the athlete graduating college on a full-ride scholarship, and the adult serving as an elected official in LA County, Faison has spent the majority of his life straddling the margins and working to bridge the gaps between vastly different worldviews.
As a result, when standing behind the lens of a camera, his focus and dedication to telling honest, important, culture-shifting, and perspective-challenging stories are as vital to him as his unique background. A quiet, thoughtful individual by nature, Faison's passion lies in telling stories from the perspective of the underdog, marginalized, and overlooked, which sets his soul on fire.
His no-nonsense approach to directing and photography is evident in his preference for dark/moody colors, use of slightly off-balanced frames, and affinity for casting shadows as characters in his slow-burning, often quiet, but always relevant and honest stories.
Desmond Faison's unique exposure to the breadth of the American experience has molded him into the man and creative he is today, making him truly one of a kind.
