Duran Jones

Duran is a 2007 graduate of Hampton University, with a BA in Broadcast Journalism. He is an accomplished independent rapper and songwriter with a keen sense of storytelling. In 2017, he completed his first short film titled BLKMGC, an urban musical based on the shooting death of Tamir Rice at the hands of police. Duran is also known for his 2011 tribute to Trayvon Martin and his subsequent interview on CNN. Now a graduate of The American Film Institute Conservatory, his goal is to tell stories for people of color that are truthful and impact the global community. While studying at AFI he graduated from the 2020 PGA Power of Diversity workshop, where his pilot "Daywalker" received interest from Mary Parent, Gary Lucchesi, and Prentice Penny. Duran was also selected as a 2021 Sundance Feature Film Producers Lab Fellow with the script "The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones" written by Victor Gabriel and "Hallelujah" the proof of concept for that feature directed by Gabriel, won the Grand Prix for Best Short and the Best Producer Award for Jones at the HollyShorts Film Festival; qualifying for the Oscars.