Tshay Williams

A person with brown braided hair, a gray top and blue jeans reaching into a corner past a dresser with a mirror on it

Tshay creates intimate portraits of her loved ones to insist on the humanity of Black people. Through film and photography she creates openings for the full range of our humanity to be expressed: grief, fear, delight, and sensuality exist in delicate harmony. Her work calls upon a rigorous practice of writing, sketching, playing and conversing to ignite her capacity to regard life for what it is: a strange and stunning miracle.

Tshay is the co-director of GALES., an episodic short which premiered at the 2021 BlackStar Film Festival. Her films have screened at the American Black Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, and a number of universities and organizations worldwide. She is the recipient of awards from Art Works, Sachs Arts, and Independence Public Media Foundation. Tshay has worked with a number of community-oriented media organizations in Philly including BlackStar Projects, Scribe Video Center, and Media In Neighborhood Groups (MING). She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA from University College London, and a sizable amount of knowledge from paying attention to the world around her. Born and bred in Amityville, NY, Tshay likes belly laughs, R&B, and over-easy eggs. She is in development on her debut narrative feature WITH MY OWN HANDS.

Grantee type
Filmmaker

Grants Awarded to Tshay Williams

$75,000 - Awarded December 2021

Focus areas
Representation in Media
Description

The 2021 film grant will support "With My Own Hands" which centers the theme of memory. When a young girl suddenly becomes ill at a family party, she must retrace her memories to uncover the true cause of her mysterious sickness.

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