Eric's profile
SUMMARY: As a native of Baltimore. I am passionate about the viability and sustainability of an active world class film community in the greater Baltimore area.
Eric was born and raised in the low-rise projects of West Baltimore. Seeking a better life, he put himself through college and became a critical care nurse. He was always torn between the practical world of making money, helping others, and his creative side which revolved around storytelling.
After a near fatal car accident, he decided to diversify his income stream. With no prior experience but a lot of assistance from loyal mentors, he started a real estate business. The enterprise eventually grew into a very successful real estate venture focusing on reasonably priced housing for blue collar citizens of Baltimore.
It was through the real estate business, that he was introduced to the world of filmmaking. He became associated with the HBO show – THE WIRE (2002- 2008) as part of the location team. The time spent with the HBO production team reignited his long dormant creative side. He began volunteering with local film productions and with the Maryland Film Festival. In his free time, he took online writing classes and self-educated.
From 2005 to the present, his role at the Maryland Film festival evolved from general volunteer to Development Assistant to key member of the screening committee to Programming Associate (2019-2023). He was tasked with developing the program known as BALTISHORTS (2019) - highlighting the incredible work of filmmakers in the DMV. For the 2024 Maryland Film Festival he is one of the key programmers and will curate the BaltiShorts block.
He has screened for a variety of other festivals – Baltimore Woman in Film, Annapolis Film Festival (2014) and the Tampa Bay Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (2015- present), Austin Film Festival (2019- present) and Reel Sisters of the Diaspora (2021- present), Portland Technology and Animation Festival (2023).
He coordinated the growing Baltimore International Black Film Festival (2015) and (2023).
In 2016 he founded and is currently President of the non-profit Baltimore Filmmakers Collective (BFC), whose mission is to educate, train and assist the underserved Baltimore community in expressing itself via media. This includes educational classes covering script development, pre-production, filming, and post- production. The BFC also conducts classes to provide skill training, allowing people to get paid positions on non-union film sets.
Eric has been writer/director/producer/executive producer on over 29 short films including AFRONAUT (2014) Sundance/Tribeca and SXSW.
His first major short (writer/director) THE LOVE WITHIN (2016) was accepted into several festivals across the country.
His script LITTLE NIBS (2019/2020) advanced at the Austin Film Festival and PAGES screenwriting competitions.
He has assisted as a mentor (2019-present) to junior and senior students at MICA, /JHU, Morgan, Stevenson and Towson film/screenwriting programs.
The short (writer/director) TORI (2020) has screened at over 20 festivals nationally and internationally, including several top 25 festivals- including BronzeLens and the Maryland Film Festival.
He was accepted into the prestigious Stowe Writing Lab 2021 for the draft of first feature script DAGMAR.
The Covid impacted production (writer/director) SCRUNCHIES (2022) has played at numerous festivals including Maryland Film Festival (2022).
The end of 2023 was highlighted by being accepted as a Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund fellow for the project Church Hat.
Currently, he has several projects in development.
Eric is writer of record and producing a Canadian animated children's short film about self-love and LGBTQ+ acceptance- CHURCH HAT. Due to be completed by August 2024.
He is one of the Executive producers of the futuristic Afro space opera- Cloud Nebula (2024).
The associate producer of the Baltimore based short - He's a Big Boy Now- (2024).
Eric has been hired to direct the short narrative - Suppress- filming scheduled for March 2024
To provide a different perspective on life in Baltimore, he is writing, directing and producing a ten-part episodic about a Black middle class family coping with among other things, the issue of gentrification- ASHBURTON (2025). The goal is to sell the project to a streaming service.
In association with an L.A. based team, he's creating his first feature project, with filming slated for fall 2024 in Baltimore.
