S. Torriano Berry

For other people named Steven Berry, see Steven Berry (disambiguation).
S. Torriano Berry
Born
Steven Torriano Berry

(1958-01-03) January 3, 1958 (age 66)
Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Iowa, ASU, UCLA
Occupation(s)Film director, producer, screenwriter
Years active1981–present
RelativesVenise T. Berry (sister)

Steven Torriano Berry is an American film producer, writer and director.[1] He directed Noh Matta Wat!, the first Belizean dramatic television series, which first aired on November 28, 2005.

Background and career

A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Berry was raised in Des Moines, Iowa. After receiving his Bachelor's degree at Arizona State University, he entered the Master's program at UCLA's prestigious film school. While at UCLA, Berry worked on numerous film and video projects including an award-winning short, Rich, in which he wrote, produced and directed as well as starred. On October 21, 2011, Rich was screened as part of a major film retrospective, "L.A. Rebellion:Creating a New Black Cinema," part of Pacific Standard Time:Art in L.A. 1945-1980.[2]

Berry is currently an associate professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he directed the Indie horror film, The Embalmer. It is considered one of the earliest examples of the "urban horror film."[3] He is also the author of two books on black film.

Berry is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

His latest project is The Kusini Concept: The Pride and the Sabotage, a documentary about the making of the film Countdown at Kusini.[4]

Film credits

  • Black Independent Showcase, WHMM-TV 32, Washington D.C.
  • The Black Beyond Anthology Series
  • The Light (half-hour TV movie), WPVI-TV 6, Philadelphia
  • When It's Your Turn, WPVI Philadelphia
  • The Embalmer[3]
  • Noh Matta Wat! (TV series), Belize (Channel 5/7/Krem Television)[5][6]
  • The Kusini Concept: The Pride and Sabotage" (documentary)[4]

Awards and recognition

  • 1983: 2nd Place, Black American Cinema Society Award for Rich
  • 1985: Honorable Mention, Black American Cinema Society Award for In the Hole
  • 1990: First Place, Black American Cinema Society Award for The Light[1]
  • Black Horror Movie Hall of Fame[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Thomas, Kevin (1990-04-07). "Black Cinema to Honor Actors, Filmmakers : Movies: Danny Glover, Louis Gossett Jr. and Beah Richards will be among those receiving accolades at eighth annual awards ceremony". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved 2011-10-24. ...a straightforward, well-made 30-minute drama about a woman torn between her responsibilities as a minister's wife and her longing for her former career as a jazz singer.
  2. ^ Quigley, Mark. "Ujamii Uhuru Schule Community Freedom School (1974); Define (1988); Excerpt from Dawn at My Back: Memoir of a Black Texas Upbringing (2003); Shipley Street (1981); Brick by Brick (1982); Rich (1982)". Los Angeles, California: UCLA Film and Television Archives. Retrieved 2011-10-24. At once gritty and tender, the character study features an intimate scene shot chiaroscuro on location at the Watts Towers
  3. ^ a b "Embalmer (1996)". BlackHorrorFilm.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24. Predating Full Moon releases like Killjoy by several years, Embalmer was one of the earliest of the "urban horror" films of the '90s.
  4. ^ a b "Upcoming Events". Culver City, California: The Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum. Archived from the original on 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2011-10-24. Predating Full Moon releases like Killjoy by several years, Embalmer was one of the earliest of the "urban horror" films of the '90s.
  5. ^ "7 News Belize".
  6. ^ "Local T.V. drama set for second season | Channel5Belize.com". edition.channel5belize.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  7. ^ "Black Horror Movie Hall of Fame". BlackHorrorFilm.com. Retrieved 2011-10-24. A little-known pioneer in black horror, this Howard University professor not only directed the early "urban horror" entry The Embalmer in 1996, but he and Chester Norvell Turner were practically the only directors to provide all-black horror in the '80s.


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