JM Morris

When J.M. Morris first saw the 1959 classic, Oscar-winning Best Foreign Picture, “Black Orpheus” (Brazil) during a Black History month TV special as a teen, she knew she wanted to be involved in filmmaking.  Especially for projects that pushed the creative envelope as “Black Orpheus” did.  But she didn’t have any family in the business, therefore she decided to take the route followed by many others – segue from entertainment law to the creative side of the industry.

So, after a stint in law, she worked in development for a producer with a film deal at Columbia Pictures.  Now hands-on with scripts, she soon got the writing bug.  But before she could develop her own projects with her producer, his deal ended.  Yet through divine intervention, because she’d given development feedback on a TV project that “worked,” she was offered a Writers Guild Trainee position for an NBC special.  So, her entrée into the WGA wasn’t via the mega-dollar feature spec bid that new writers dream of, but she was in…  And she joined that extremely small pool of network primetime specials writers.  Some of her nationally televised credits include tributes to:  Aretha Franklin, Kenneth “Babyface“ Edmonds, Kathleen Battle, and Will Smith.  She’s also written segments for presenters that include Oscar, Emmy and Grammy-winning performers, such as:  Ed Asner, Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, Martin Landau, Morgan Freeman, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, and Warren Beatty.

Eventually, Morris had writing and/or producing credits for over fifteen televised primetime programs, in addition to anime scripts for FOX, as well as writing (with “story by” credit) for their anticipated, first hip-hop animation series, SLAM CITY.  And besides the specials, her primetime projects include HOLLA, an urban “Politically Incorrect” limited series on BET she wrote and produced, featuring such guests as:  former presidential candidate, Al Sharpton, Jr.; controversial conservative activist, Armstrong Williams; renowned attorney, Gloria Allred; and the late music impresario, Rick James.  Morris has also written for print, including as writer-editor of an entertainment weekly for a local LA paper.

To complement her TV credits, Morris decided to write stage projects.  So, she wrote and produced CONVERSATION PIECES, a special stage presentation of dramatic to satiric “conversations” on race, religion, gender, etc., at L.A.’s lauded Skirball Cultural Center, that starred Emmy-winning actress, Tyne Daly (“Judging Amy“), Carl Lumbly (“Alias“), and Roma Maffia (“Nip/Tuck“).  It was directed by award-winning filmmaker, Charles Burnett (“The Annihilation of Fish“ w/Lynn Redgrave & James Earl Jones; “To Sleep With Anger“ w/Danny Glover & “Oprah Winfrey Presents:  The Wedding” w/Halle Berry).  Bolstered by the positive response to CONVERSATION…, Morris went on to write a “theatrical mockumentary,” NIGEL IN THE ‘HOOD that was staged as one of only 10 projects selected for an exclusive WGA showcase.  It starred acclaimed actor, Glenn Plummer (“The Salton Sea” w/Val Kilmer & HBO’s “The Corner“).  And once again at the helm was Charles Burnett (the only African-American among seven filmmakers that included Martin Scorsese & Clint Eastwood, directing the critically-acclaimed PBS multi-part documentary, “The Blues“).  Morris has also written for print, including as writer-editor of an entertainment weekly for a local L.A. paper.

Before long, Morris decided to return to her film roots – but with “short” steps.  She executive produced STONE MANSION, an AFI Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) dramatic short that became one of only 4 films selected from a national competition that aired on Showtime’s distinguished “Black Filmmakers Showcase,” and subsequently aired on PBS.  Starring the legendary Carmen DeLavellade, it was also an official selection in the Berlin Black Film Festival (Black International Cinema Berlin), and a finalist in the Pan African Film Festival and the UrbanWorld Film Festival.  She also executive produced HOPE, another AFI DWW dramatic short, that in addition to airing in a syndicated special on NBC, was an official selection in over 15 film festivals, such as:  the Maui Film Festival, the Dances With Films, the Maryland Film Festival and The Black Film Festival Wales in London.  Morris also served as creative consultant on award-winning filmmaker, Yvonne Welbon’s documentary, SISTERS IN CINEMA featuring female filmmakers/directors, such as: Euzhan Palcy (“A Dry White Season“); Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou“); and Dr. Maya Angelou (“Down in the Delta“).  In addition to airing on Starz! Cable network, it also premiered and was an official selection in the Pan African Film Festival, and included other festivals, such as the Harlem Black Film FestivalSan Francisco Black International Film Festival.

Then Morris began to write feature specs.   One called REWIND was a finalist among the national/international projects selected for Robert De Niro’s prestigious Tribeca Film Institute’s All Access Connects Program (TAA) during the Tribeca Film Festival.  Unfortunately, Charles Burnett, who was attached to the script, was shooting a film in Namibia and could not meet TAA’s requirement at that time of presenting with Morris.  Therefore, she was not able to attend, but is forever grateful for TAA’s support of her work and allowing her to indicate she was indeed a finalist.

Morris has also written and produced live events, such as, AN EVENING WITH DEXTER SCOTT KING featuring the author of Growing Up King (Warner Books) and previous head of the Martin Luther King Center (where Morris had been one of eight collegiate King Center National Scholar-Interns), discussing his father’s legacy and its impact on his life.  Other events include:  the TV Academy’s inaugural TELEVISIONARY AWARDS honoring ABC President, Stephen McPherson and hosted by Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson, as well as, the 2007 groundbreaking RACE, RAP & REDEMPTION featuring Ice Cube and renowned spoken word artist, Saul Williams.  She has also worked in new media, including with CBS.com.

She continues to supplement her credits with stage work.  For the last few years she has been a frequent invited artist at Santa Monica’s cutting-edge performance space, Highways.  Like her first project, CONVERSATION PIECES, the Highways stage projects she has written and produced address pop culture, socio-political and human rights issues both satirically and dramatically:  SHOULDN’T HAVE (Aug. ’05), starring April Grace (“Lost“, “Magnolia”), that opened THE MURDER OF EMMETT TILL: 50 YEARS LATER; THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER (Jan. ’07), a tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King directed by Charles Burnett and starring recent White House performer, Mayda del Valle of Russell Simmons’ Tony Award-winning, “Def Poetry Jam;” JUNETEENTH AND OTHER LUDICROUS LIES & OMISSIONS (June ’07), also directed by Burnett and starring Independent Spirit Award nominee, Haaz Sleiman of the acclaimed film, “The Visitor;”  9/11:  PERSPECTIVES & PRETENSIONS (Sept. ’07) that again had Burnett directing, and starred April Grace; COURAGE:  THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER II, (Jan. ’08), the second in her MLK series, again directed by Burnett, as well as, actor-director, Judith Scott.  In January 2009, Morris debuted the latest in her MLK series, RELIGION:  THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER III, with Burnett directing a project by Morris for the seventh time, and it was the sixth project Highways invited Morris to present.

Her work is being  featured on the national radio program, Pacifica Performance Showcase.Morris teamed up again with Haaz Sleiman (“Nurse Jackie”), for a short film she wrote and produced, One Second at a Time.  Then last year, due to her stage work Morris was brought into the museum world as a writer-producer (that included overseeing 11 multi-media pieces & sound design), for the highly-anticipated, American I Am:  The African American Imprint national traveling exhibition by AEI and Tavis Smiley.  AEI also staged the award-winning King Tut and Titanic traveling exhibitions.  America I Am opened to critical review in January 2009 at Philadelphia’s renowned National Constitution Center.

As she has for several years, Morris is also honored that she is once again a reviewer for the prestigious Humanitas Awards.

Morris looks forward to her next stage production on August 21 & 22 at Highways called “Creative Provocateurs, Vol. 1.”  It is a collection of three original pieces by Morris and award-winning writers, Tina Andrews (“Sally Hemings:  An American Scandal”) and Antwone Fisher (“The Antwone Fisher Story”).   Fisher’s piece is “Finding Fish” based on his New York Times best-selling book of the same title, and the film, “The Antwone Fisher Story” that starred Denzel Washington.   “Charlotte Sophia” is the piece by Andrews, about Queen Charlotte of England, that records show was of African descent.  “Uh-Uh!: Parts 1&2″ is the piece by Morris.

In addition to stage, Morris is also working on TV, film, print and new media projects.