About the Film
Filmmaker Ime N. Etuk, born and raised in Portland, OR, was tired of being one of the few people of color on the film sets he was working on in his own hometown. Having founded a non-profit in 2018 striving towards racial equity in the fields of STEM, film, media and entertainment industry, he was ready to make the change needed.
In the summer of 2022, he and his creative partners began pre-production on his most recent feature film Outdoor School, the true story of local Black artist Vin Shambry and his childhood struggles to find peace through nature and community. Ime and his team also decided to set out to tell the story unfolding behind the camera, one in which an effort was being made to include new faces from underrepresented communities to help bring the film to life.
Following the cast and crew as they embark to tell a special hometown story, Lion Speaks the Docuseries offers a behind the scenes look at one filmmaker’s mission to use his experience and influence to usher in a new wave of diverse voices and filmmakers and create equity in the whitest big city in the country.
In the summer of 2022, he and his creative partners began pre-production on his most recent feature film Outdoor School, the true story of local Black artist Vin Shambry and his childhood struggles to find peace through nature and community. Ime and his team also decided to set out to tell the story unfolding behind the camera, one in which an effort was being made to include new faces from underrepresented communities to help bring the film to life.
Following the cast and crew as they embark to tell a special hometown story, Lion Speaks the Docuseries offers a behind the scenes look at one filmmaker’s mission to use his experience and influence to usher in a new wave of diverse voices and filmmakers and create equity in the whitest big city in the country.
The Co-Directors
Ime N EtukIme N. Etuk is a versatile Director and Producer who has worked in various stages of film and television production. His love of story started in high school where he was introduced to television production. He followed the path of journalism landing with an internship at a local news station in college. From there he worked his way to field producing for ABCNEWS shows, World News tonight and 20/20.
His initiation to Hollywood came, when he was one of the 14 finalist selected from a pool of over a thousand applicants, for the prestigious Directors Guild of America’s training program. He took advantage of that opportunity to learn his craft and join the Directors Guild of America; while working alongside and learning from some of the most prolific directors in Hollywood (including Paul Haggis “Crash”, The Coen Brothers “The Man Who Wasn’t There”, Antoine Fuqua “Training Day” and David Lynch “Twin Peaks”). His debut culture clash feature “Hurricane in the Rose Garden” played at both Slamdance and the Pan African film festivals before being picked up for distribution. As a commercial Director he has helmed spots for the food, financial & automotive industries including a regional spot for Super Bowl XLIX. He has also directed music videos for independent and label artist, such as hip hop artists Cassidy, J Monty, and international afrobeat artist Seun Kuti His feature film Outdoor School is currently in post-production. |
Sebastian RogersSebastian Rogers was born in Norfolk, England to an immigrant mother from India and an English father. Raised in a cross-cultural home in the small rural market town of Diss, he left home to pursue a career in music at age 16 - ending up in Los Angeles by the time he was 23.
After work as a producer and songwriter with platinum-selling artists, and contracts as a performing artist with London Records, Dreamworks and Interscope, Rogers was drawn to Portland, Oregon by the homespun music scene and his disillusionment with the music industry. A spiritual transformation ultimately led him into full-time Christian ministry, where his experience with media proved invaluable. Rogers developed his film making skills while Director of Communications at Imago Dei Community, before shifting his focus entirely to running the non-profit media company Peripheral Vision PDX, which he founded to provide films and media training to under-served communities, organizations and ministries. |
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