Communal Coffee is an ongoing series designed to offer a casual environment for budding filmmakers to converse with seasoned professional filmmakers. Expertise has been offered by other participants such as Megan Griffiths (Director of The Night Stalker, Eden), Jeff Unay (Director of The Cage Fighter), and Mark Titus (Founder of August Island Pictures).

This June, we are joined by local filmmaker Wynter Rhys in an intimate conversation around her visually powerful films and music videos.

director’s bio

Wynter Rhys is an award winning director, writer, and editor from the Seattle area. Her signature aesthetic and storytelling style represents the controversial and abstract thoughts that push the boundaries of society and common thinking. She wants her films to ignite raw truth and get under an audience’s skin. As a director, she begins and instills the story, but she believes the story evolves and resolves itself within the mind of her audience – which is precisely the reason why her films are so psychological. Universally human, undeniably chilling, and beautifully visceral – this is the foundation of every piece she creates.

Wynter wrote, edited and directed her first film, Little Red, at 15 years old. Her films have been awarded in many festivals worldwide. Now, at 20, she is in pre production of her first feature film, Subject Eleven, which will be shot in 2019.   She is also pursuing her BFA in writing and filmmaking at Savannah College of Art and Design on a full scholarship. Wynter is also a National YoungArts Alumni, winning in Cinematic Arts 2016 and 2017.

director statement

I’m a very visual director, so when I write my scripts I have a very clear idea of what I want the finished piece to look like prior to production. I believe interpretation to be an extension of my work. The underlying message of my films, to some, is like a faint evoked memory or deja vu – for others, it’s clear and in their face from start to finish. I write something I am passionate about, and then I convey it through visual correlation, but it becomes art when it is taken in by other’s eyes and processed in their minds, or even thought about later. That is when it goes from a project to a piece. And if my piece lingers, if it is reflected on, if it raises questions – then I have done my job.