She, biz partners win $1M to produce film
Contributed
Cincinnati is proud of Princeton High School graduate, Kiah Alexandria Clingman, for yet another career achievement in the film industry. She, as one of the producers, and David Fortune as the writer/director, presented their pitch video, along with four other finalists to a panel of esteemed judges during AT&T’s Untold Stories program at Tribeca Festival in New York City. David, Kiah, and their other two producers, Kristen Uno and Saleah Smith walked away with the top prize of $1,000,000 to produce their feature film, Color Book, to premiere at Tribeca Festival in 2024.
Color Book is a story about a devoted father raising his son who has Down Syndrome after the passing of his wife. While adjusting to their new reality, the two embark on a tumultuous journey through Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball game together.
“I am honored to be assisting David in telling this beautiful story. I’ve spent the last 8 years in Atlanta and am blessed to call it my new home. Having the opportunity to tell an authentic story about this city and the people who live here is honestly a dream come true. David is a fantastic visionary and I am truly blessed to be producing alongside him and our other incredible producers,” says Clingman.
Kiah Clingman is a Howard University graduate, a corporate consultant, and the Underdog of Indie Filmmaking. In 2020, she gave up the safety net of corporate job security. She traded in a salary for “net 30″ promises and pursued storytelling full-time. Her first few years consisted of “labor of love” projects (no pay, all passion), but the love of craft kept her going. That pushed her in 2019 to write and produce her own SAG short, “Eavesdropping on the Elders” that received 17 Official Selections, won “Best Film” in two Film Festivals, and can now be seen on Revolt and Kweli TV. She recently took home the million dollar grant through the AT&T Untold Stories Program at Tribeca Festival to produce a feature film written and directed by David Fortune. Through her production company, KiahCan Productions, she aims to uplift the voices of the unheard and highlight topics that are often ignored and misunderstood. She recently wrapped two feature films that she produced. “The Comeback” starring Taye Diggs and “Boxed In 2” are both airing on Peacock Fall 2023. She is also a 2020 Southern Producers Lab Fellow.
Clingman resides in Atlanta and does work in Los Angeles as well. She recently wrote a film entitled, “Her Pretty Vagina” shooting later this fall that will serve as her solo directorial debut. Kiah says, “Writing and directing this story will amplify the voices of women struggling with endometriosis, HPV, and fear of cervical cancer. My goal is to educate under the guise of comedic entertainment, encouraging our audience to have a deeper care and overall understanding when it comes to women’s health.”
To support Kiah and her upcoming projects, reach out to kiah@kiahcan.com.