Phillip Youmans, a prodigious filmmaker from New Orleans, burst onto the cinematic scene with a remarkable debut at the tender age of 19. Born on February 18, 2000, this talented individual made history by becoming the youngest and first African-American director to win the prestigious Founder's Award for Best Narrative Feature at the renowned Tribeca Film Festival. His feature-length debut, Burning Cane, was a testament to his remarkable skill and dedication, as he wrote, directed, shot, and edited the film during his final years of high school.
Phillip's achievement was all the more remarkable considering he was also the youngest director to ever have a feature film compete at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film, distributed by Ava Duvernay's Array Releasing, received a limited theatrical release on October 25th, 2019, before being released on Netflix via Array on November 6th, 2019.
Phillip's outstanding work on Burning Cane did not go unnoticed, as he was subsequently nominated for a Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Director and a Film Independent Spirit Award. These nominations serve as a testament to his exceptional talent and the significant impact his film had on the cinematic community.
