With a love of cinema’s more idiosyncratic directing auteurs, Maxwell has strived to express himself as purely as possible. Most notably merging the vulnerably personal with genre flourishes. Following a small stint touring as a performance artist, which changed how he envisioned movement within film, he is now eager to utilize all of the new tools he’s acquired over the years. His American Film Institute thesis short and most personal work to date is called Outdooring which has screened at over 20 international festivals. Most notably the 2019 South by Southwest, Outfest, shortlisted for the Iris Prize, screened in the 2020 Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival, and was acquired in a three-year deal with Revolt TV. In 2021, he was awarded a development grant from the distinguished Cinereach production company for his first feature film debut. He recently served as a film professor for the graduate program at Prescott College. In 2022, he signed with Caviar for commercial work. In 2023 his was featured on Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Stereogum. At the Fowler Museum, he directed the video exhibition “They Are With Us: Oya in the Grove, 2023”, as part of The House Was Too Small: Yoruba Sacred Arts from Africa and Beyond Exhibition. Available until June 2024.
American Film Institute - Conservatory
Master of Fine Arts, Directing - Class of 2018
Grants
Cinereach Development Grant - 2021
Screenplay Competitions
Sundance Producing Lab, 2019 - Finalist
Sundance Screenwriting Lab, 2019 - Finalist
Academy Nicholl Fellowships Competition, 2018 – Top 15%
Performance Artist
Respite, Reprieve, and Healing - 2019
Where Will You Go? - 2018
Malcolm Revisited - 2017
Stained - 2012