Jordan Shanks

Jordan Shanks is a Afro-Latino writer/director, film producer, and photographer who was born and raised in Richmond, VA. His films and photography take audiences on thought-provoking journeys, often commenting on contemporary and historic aspects of the Black experience in America. 

He is currently pursuing his MFA in Film & TV Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, known as the top film school in the world. There, he most recently produced a social-commentary film that won the 2022 Student DGA Award and is currently in consideration for a student Academy Award. 

In 2020, Shanks was named a Visual Arts Fellow by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, one of the top 10 comprehensive art museums in the nation. As a fellow, Shanks directed and produced his latest documentary short, Never Again, which follows the dramatic removal of Confederate monuments in his hometown following the nationwide protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. 

The film was displayed during a special month-long exhibition alongside his photo collection “Love Letters to America,” which features a series of striking images captured over a span of nearly seven years as he’s traveled the country documenting the ongoing struggle for racial equality. The collection has been exhibited across the country, gaining national media attention, sparking meaningful conversations on American policing and social justice. 

Shanks earned his B.A. in Media, Journalism & Film from Howard University. 

PRESS

Deadline | Never Again announced as Official Selection: Black Hollywood Resource Center's Annual Film Festival 

PopSugar | What Does Social Change Look Like? Filmmaker Jordan Shanks Wants to Show You

The Root | Jordan Shanks' forthcoming film Never Again included in Trailer Roundup

Ebony Magazine | Jordan Shanks Shoots Love Letters to America 

Chicago Defender | Creative, Jordan Shanks, Documents Racial Awakening through Photography and Film

BeLatina | Jordan Shanks’ Love Letters to America Part II, An Exhibition on Racial Awakening