Ya'Ke Smith

Ya’Ke’s films have received world-wide acclaim, screening and winning awards at over 80 film festivals, including The Cannes International Film Festival, The American Black Film Festival, The Austin Film Festival, The DC Shorts Film Festival and the Urbanworld Film Festival. His films have also been broadcast on HBO, Showtime, BET and PBS. He is the recipient of a Director’s Guild of America Student Film Award and a Student Academy Award Nomination. His latest short Katrina’s Son has screened in over 40 film festivals and has been honored with twelve awards. The film is now eligible to be nominated for the 2012 Academy Award for Short Filmmaking. Ya’Ke graduated with his M.F.A from the University of Texas at Austin’s Film Program and is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington.