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Kevin Willmott | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1959-08-31)August 31, 1959 (age 66) Junction City, Kansas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Marymount College (BA) New York University (MFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Film director and writer college film professor |
| Employer | University of Kansas |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay |
Kevin Willmott (born August 31, 1959)[1] is an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. He is known for work focusing on black issues including writing and directingNinth Street,C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America, andBunker Hill.
HisThe Only Good Indian (2009) was a feature film about Native American children at anIndian boarding school and the forced assimilation that took place. InJayhawkers (2014), he followed the life ofWilt Chamberlain,Phog Allen and the 1956Kansas Jayhawks basketball team. Willmott has collaborated withSpike Lee, with whom he shared anAcademy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay forBlacKkKlansman.
Willmott grew up inJunction City, Kansas, and received a BA in Drama fromMarymount College. He received a M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing fromNew York University.[2] He has worked as a screenwriter and film director, known for work related to African-American history and contemporary issues. In 2017, Willmott taught classes in a bulletproof vest in protest of the ability of students and staff to carry concealed weapons on the campus.[3]
He won the Best Director award at theAmerican Indian Film Festival forThe Only Good Indian.[4] Willmott's next film,Jayhawkers, received funding throughKickstarter, acrowdsourcing website.[5]
In 2019, Willmott won an Oscar forBest Adapted Screenplay for the filmBlacKkKlansman.[6][7] He and Spike Lee again collaborated in writingDa 5 Bloods, released worldwide digitally on June 12, 2020.
Wilmott is a professor of film at theUniversity of Kansas.[3]
Willmott isCatholic, and has cited Jesuit priestDaniel Berrigan as an influence in his life and work.[8]
| Year | Title | Crew position |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Ninth Street | Director, writer, producer |
| 2004 | C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America | Director and writer |
| 2008 | Bunker Hill | Director, writer, and producer |
| The Only Good Indian | Director and producer | |
| 2013 | Destination: Planet Negro | Director and writer |
| Jayhawkers | Director, writer, and producer | |
| 2015 | Chi-Raq | Writer |
| 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Writer |
| 2020 | Da 5 Bloods | Writer |
| The 24th | Director and co-writer | |
| 2020 | William Allen White: What's the Matter with Kansas? | Director and writer |
| Year | Title | Crew position |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The '70s | Writer |
| 2005 | High Tech Lincoln | Producer |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Ninth Street | Huddie |
| 2003 | The Fascist of X-Mart | Narrator |
| The Search for Inflata-boy | Expert | |
| 2004 | C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America | Extra |
| 2009 | Next Caller | God (voice) |
| 2010 | AIR: The Musical | The Detective |
| 2013 | Destination Planet Negro | Dr. Warrington Avery |
| Unit 12 | Bill Swaan | |
| 2014 | Jayhawkers | Dowdall Davis |
| 2015 | Lena Laine | Ryan |
| 2016 | From Ashes to Immortality | Dr. Frank Ryan |
| 2017 | The Profit | Doctor |
| 2019 | The Computer Lab | The Futurist (1 episode) |
| 2021 | Rainbow Boulevard | The Narrator (voice) |
| The Funny Guy | Kevin Weston |
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