We had the good fortune of connecting with Connor Austin Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Connor Austin, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

COSIMA was first discussed with my family during a New Years Eve in New York City a few years back. We’re now a production company that highlights the next generation of creatives in film, TV, and stage.

As a co-founder, I’ve always been interested in leading a production company, and hope to lead as a studio executive in the future. As a multi-faceted creative, I realized that having a range of interests both behind and in front of the camera would lend itself towards an executive path that would facilitate the devising of my own work.

Starting this business has allowed me to produce projects and employ creatives that deserve more opportunities. In the coming years, the hope is to use this production company as a way to facilitate the creation of more exciting, genre-blending, queer content.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Our work has typically focused on bringing underrepresented communities to the forefront. We start with our primary goal of entertaining our audience. It is grounded in the desire to honor people and places that haven’t had their fair amount of time in the light. Often this has led me to write, direct and produce works highlighting diverse, and often, queer persons. It might also be because I’m black and super gay as well. I’d like to think it’s both.

Even though we highlight these worlds, the work always aims to tackle a universal feeling. I’ve found myself constantly returning to themes of loss, reinvention, and love. These themes are always on my mind, and always will likely recur in ongoing work.

Our upcoming slate of projects includes a number of short films (two currently in pre-production), a music video for an emerging R&B/Soul singer, the creation of a ‘Soul Food’-based web series and the continued development of our first feature film, a dance-drama. We specialize in producing our lead content, while also shooting and editing behind-the-scenes videos to be used as marketing and additional entertainment content across platforms. In time, this pipeline will allow for creatives to get the most out of their shoots, easily, with a production company that understands the demands of modern day social media needs.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ooh, well first off I would love to take them to the Palisades. The park has a wonderful beach there that I was introduced to by a fellow actor friend, Bear Allen-Blaine. It’s very peaceful and absolutely gorgeous. They would also have to go out to WeHo (West Hollywood) with me, preferably to Beaches, Trunks, or Heart (especially if it’s the week of Club Jete, a big dance show). Finally, I would love to take them to the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit. It’s a small, little hidden thing that unfortunately won’t be in town much longer but it’s a great collection of some of his work and I’ve loved taking my friends and family there when they’ve visited.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I really want to shout out a truly wonderful acting teacher and a very generous woman, Wendy Ward. She was my first Meisner acting teacher and it was from her that I became aware of what meaningful, soulful art asks of a creative. When I find myself lost, I often find my mind stopping back at Wendy’s class and hearing her view on the industry, art, and life. Without Wendy, I think it would have taken me a LONG time to learn the lessons I now consider essential to my understanding of this career. So, I’m deeply, deeply grateful for and thankful to her for instilling those important lessons, even through the hardest days. Everyone from her school stays in contact and we miss her dearly, she truly was a pivotal person in my life and one of the realest people I’ve ever met. I’m certain of that.

Website: www.filmfreeway.com/ConnorAustinJones

Instagram: www.instagram.com/okconnor_

Twitter: www.twitter.com/okconnor_

Other: Directing Profile: www.tinyurl.com/DirectorJones

Image Credits
Cristian Urbina (On The Line) Konrad Eiring (Headshots)

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