Justin Simien’s first attempts at filmmaking culminated in his short The Gift, which took the National Gold Medal for Filmmaking as part of the NAACP’s “ACT-SO” program for high school students of color. His thesis film Rings, which argued for marriage equality, premiered at the Hollywood Black Film Festival and Atlanta’s In The Life Film Festival in 2006. His recent project, INST MSGS, garnered a web distribution deal with Revision3.com as well as a Streamy Award nomination. After graduating from Chapman University with a BFA in Writing and Directing, Simien gained extensive industry experience working on publicity campaigns for Focus Features and Paramount Pictures. His shorts have been featured in festivals across the country and he is currently prepping several new web projects as well as his first feature film, 2%.