N.C. A&T Alumni Times

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Wilson, Jr.

When nominations for the 90th annual Academy Awards were announced on Jan. 23, Kevin Wilson, Jr.'s '11 life changed before his very eyes. He was nominated for his short film, "My Nephew Emmett," in the Best Live Action Short Film category.

“My Nephew Emmett” is a 20-minute film that takes place on the night of Aug. 28, 1955, when the 14-year-old Emmett Till was abducted, tortured and murdered in Money, Mississippi. The film was written, produced and directed by Wilson as a curricular project at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts' Graduate Film Program, where he is currently a student. The project was supported by the help of private donors, GoFundMe contributors and the Spike Lee Fellowship.

“I am extremely grateful for the support I received to produce this film because majority of the donors were Aggies who lived in Greensboro,” said Wilson. “It really showed me the true meaning of Aggie Pride and the importance of supporting our own.”

As a child growing up in Durham, Wilson was always fascinated with the story of Emmett Till. He remembers visiting family in the south and rural areas of North Carolina seeing the Confederate flag and he was always reminded of Till’s story.

While Wilson attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University as a broadcast production student, he was given an opportunity in 2009 by a then-staff member, Ryan Maltese, to produce the play, “The Emmett Till Story,” at Harrison Auditorium. The success of the play fueled his desire to bring the story to film.

After graduating N.C. A&T, Wilson worked as a production assistant for NBC Universal in New York and as a cameraman on the set of Law & Order SUV. Even though the work helped him to hone his skills and taught him about the industry, he wasn’t being fulfilled artistically. He knew that film school was something that he desired and when he applied for the first time he was rejected by NYU but he knew he couldn’t give up.

“It was heartbreaking finding out that I didn’t get into film school on my first attempt,” said Wilson. “I realized with the whole situation that it takes a certain type of maturity and growth to be serious about making movies and I gained that perspective from being a husband and father.”

When Wilson started film school in 2015, he knew that he wanted his project to be about Emmett Till. As a husband and a father of two sons with a girl on the way, he wanted to use a perspective that is not explored in the story. He wanted to give a cinematic voice of Mose Wright, Till’s uncle, and show the intense agony behind the decision to hand over a child in the middle of the night to his abductors.

“As an African American father, you worry about keeping your children safe and telling your sons about Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Tamir Rice,” said Wilson. “These stories affect our communities and it’s my contribution as a director to produce films about our justice and equality.”

Wilson gained support from two fellow Aggies, who served as co-producers on the film, former Miss A&T TaNisha Fordham ’09 and former Mister A&T Austin James ’11. These two were instrumental on campus when he first produced the play and he knew that he needed them along the journey.

“Kevin is the most humble person I know and seeing him in action showed me that it’s okay to dream big and achieve your goals,” said Fordham. “This journey tested him a lot and he was pressed on every side but he never gave up and that’s what I admire most about him.”

The production of the film took 11 days to shoot in Money, Mississippi and every day of production counted due to budget restraints. In addition, majority of the film was shot in slave quarters on the Whittington Plantation at night between midnight and 5 a.m.

“When you are producing a short film, there is no second wasted and every moment has a purpose, said James. “It is my hope that the audience connects with the film and grasp the true story of Emmett Till.”

Before the film was completed, the lead actor who played the uncle of Till, L.B. Williams, passed away in July 2017.

In the future, Wilson plans to start production on a full-length feature film in the summer of 2018. His goal is to use the momentum from the Academy Award nomination to direct and produce more movies, plays and commercials.

All 2018 Oscar® nominated short films can be viewed in select theaters. To view the film in your area, click here.

The 90th annual Academy Awards will air on ABC at 8 p.m. EST on March 4.