Take one step onto Dillard’s campus, and before you know it, you might hear the name “Madame Director.” London Williams, a senior at Dillard University from Indiantown, Florida, earned this title, given to her by her film family at SoulFilmStudios.
She is carving her path in film with her vision, tenacity, and community to create a way in a field that has disregarded voices like hers, she said.
Her journey in film started while viewing Jordan Peele’s “Us” in a dimly lit cinema with her sister, said Williams. An ordinary outing ignited something extraordinary in her. Without that moment, there may not have even been Jaded Films, her own page where she shares her work and experiments with storytelling. From that spark, a new voice in film was born, one that continues to grow.
She credits SoulFilmsStudios, a local New Orleans award-winning film studio created by Dillard alumni, for helping fuel her growth and collaborations along the way. The studio brings together filmmakers and creatives who produce short films, movies, art, and more.
“At Dillard, I’ve found both inspiration and belonging,” Williams shared.
Her community extends beyond the campus, often rooted in SoulFilmsStudios, where collaboration and shared vision have carried her through financial and personal challenges.
“I got over them with drive and the little community I do have,” she explains. “For all filmmakers out there, create a community, no matter how small.”
She is a strong leader because of her collaborative attitude and decision to be resilient rather than retreat, said Williams.
Williams’ writing process stems from her life, she said. She draws inspiration for her writing from both her personal life and the world around her. While her projects vary in genre, her personal stamp remains consistent in her films.
“It’s really hard to explain,” she admits, “but I think my shot styles set me apart.”
Whether in dramas like “Who Are You to I?”, “The Blood Between Us”, or “Until You’re Mine”, her work reflects a cinematic fingerprint that is both intentional and raw, she said. Williams said she draws from her own lived experience, yet always with the hope of resonating with the world, said Williams. She returns to the source of her inspiration when she is experiencing writer’s block.
“I enjoy watching films that are related to the genre I write about,” she said.
Even with a growing list of credits and collaborations with her fellow Dillard students Nia Allen, a senior theater major, Colby Muse, a senior theater major, and Akayla Bailey, a senior mass communications major. Williams remains grounded in her mission.
“The biggest lesson I have learned so far is to not overthink and put your work out there,” she said.
In the future, Williams intends to continue working with SoulFilmsStudios, enter festivals, and create more short films. Her long-term goals are to tell stories that appeal to a diverse audience and establish herself as an authentic and brave filmmaker, she said. Williams gives a straightforward response when asked to describe her approach to filmmaking:
“Don’t overthink it, just create.” The individuals your work is intended to reach will find it, she said.
To keep up with her work, follow her on Instagram and YouTube at JadedFilms.
