Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelvin Chambliss.
Hi Kelvin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story began at the Barger Academy of Fine Arts. During those years, I was placed in classes such as Art, Dance, Choir, and Theatre. I quickly developed a love for theatre, which would continue throughout middle school and high school, where I would write short plays for class! In my junior year of high school, I wrote my first short film, and some of my close friends ran around Chattanooga filming it on my iPhone! After graduating, I attended Nossi College of Art for a few years before transferring to Belmont University.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think as filmmakers we all share common struggles in our pursuit of sharing our voices through our art. One in particular for me is knowing not to be too hard on yourself. It’s so easy to compare your life to others and, as the years go by, feel like you’re not doing enough. I think another struggle is letting yourself be vulnerable through your work. I feel that in the past I have tried shunning away from the things that are hard to talk about. A struggle that I feel like I still work through to this day. We all have stories, and we all have things that have shaped us, and tapping into that vulnerable state can help us understand each other and make better art.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a filmmaker, and the current project that I am working on is called The Derby. Set in the racially charged world of early 70s horse racing, The Derby follows a young African American jockey as he defies the odds in the pursuit of winning the most prestigious race in the world – The Kentucky Derby. Developing this story has been something I am most proud of. As a black man, I think that knowing our history and knowing the people that have paved the way for us is important, and being able to speak to important people in the horse racing world, such as Marlon St Julien, who was the first African American jockey to race in the Derby after 80 years. And the family of Jimmy Winkfield, who was the last African American jockey to win the Derby in 1902. It is something that I am very proud and excited about and I cant way to further get this story out there.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I think the best way for people to support is through social media, supporting the team and foundation that I’ve been lucky to have since starting this journey. Continuing to pour love into the projects and stories that we continue to tell, and by encouraging original ideas.
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