Meet Leah Simone Scott | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leah Simone Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leah Simone, what are you inspired by?
I’m inspired by so much. From little things I notice throughout the day to memories of the past, I’ve found inspiration everywhere. However, being in community with and seeing the work ethic of my fellow filmmakers who are pursuing this crazy dream alongside me definitely helps me to keep striving, and the reward of telling a story that’s been on your heart for months or sometimes years is like no other.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a writer, director, and producer from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida where I was raised by my grandparents. Growing up, when I would think about what I wanted to do when I got older, film always stuck out, and my desire only grew stronger over time. Black cinema and seeing Black actresses on-screen, in general, was definitely a refuge and major source of representation for me as a young Black girl growing up in the suburbs. Films like Eve’s Bayou (1997), Jackie Brown (1997), ATL (2006) and School Daze (1988) are just a few of many favorites that shaped this love. As a result, I’ve always felt the need and desire to contribute to the ethos and history of Black cinema because of how influential it was for me. So, in undergrad at Howard University, after wrestling with the idea of choosing an arts major, I committed to studying film because I felt that studying it in an academic setting was my best bet to figure out how to get the stories that had been floating around in my head for so long into a script and eventually on-screen.

That experience, being immersed in such a culturally rich environment, shaped my perspective and fueled my passion even more. So I decided to pursue a Master in Fine Arts in film at Columbia University, which I recently completed last May. Along the way, I’ve worked hard to gain diverse professional experiences to further my knowledge of the industry. I’ve interned and externed at places like National Geographic Partners and United Talent Agency, and most recently, I worked for the Democratic National Committee as a Rapid Response Video Editor for @KamalaHQ during the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.

Having now produced twelve films, two of which I also wrote and directed, I’m most proud of my growth as a filmmaker since deciding to pursue this career. My short film Love Bites premiered at the Newark International Film Festival in 2023, and that was a major milestone for me because it was my first festival selection as a director. Furthermore, producing Down’s Paradox directed by Red Truss which won the Audience Award at the New York Short Film Festival, was also a fantastic experience because working on that film showed me how to do a lot with a little and emphasized that I was ten times more capable than I had ever thought. My thesis film, The Last Summer, which I wrote and produced based on my childhood growing up in Florida, is something that I’m incredibly excited about. It received a Columbia University Leone Family Production Grant and premiered at the 2024 New Orleans Film Festival last fall. Since then, it has been recognized with awards and honors such as Best Short Film and 2nd Place Grand Prize at the HBCU FirstLOOK Film Festival, the Audience Award at the Columbia University Film Festival, and multiple other festival selections.

I think that the most important lesson that filmmaking has taught me has been to stay true to who I am and what I believe, regardless of what others might think about that. Storytelling requires such a deep level of vulnerability, and I feel that it’s almost impossible to become your best without achieving that. So, being secure in my vulnerability has been really transformative for my growth as an artist. In the same vein, the most important factor behind my success has been my faith. At times, trying to make it in this industry can feel so incredibly draining. So what keeps me going is reflecting on how perfectly the positive moments in this journey have come together for me, and feeling that all of those amazing “coincidences” that have laid my path, thus far, could have only aligned if this were meant to be.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely have to shoutout my family! Without all of their influence, love and support, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today, and I’m incredibly grateful to have such a unique bunch of folks in my corner.

Website: https://www.leahsimonescott.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahsimones/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahsimonescott/