The Purgatory of Ghosts and Grief
After the death of his wife, a man is visited by her ghost as he struggles to cope and move on.
ABOUT
Ghost is an exploration of grief between a Black and Chinese-American interracial couple, and how their respective cultures deal with loss, love and acceptance. In the story, a bereaved man is visited by the ghost of his wife, and in doing so she hinders his healing and ability to process his loss.
YEAR 2021
RUN TIME 28:00 Min
CAST & CREW CREDITS
DIRECTOR Dem Lashawn Keilu
PRODUCED BY Mohamed Sultan
2ND ASSISTANT CAMERA Tyler Grimes
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Dem Lashawn Keilu
ASSISTANT PRODUCER Gillian Goodwin | Andria Lam
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Justin Foreman
GAFFER Chib Onyemenem
SOUND James Burkhalter | Chib Onyemenem
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Jimmie Thomas | David Samuels
PRINCIPAL CAST
Jarvis B. Manning, Jr. | Jasmine Wang | Kike Ayodeji | Lisa Sponaugle | Tom Chen
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Demi’s current interests is in telling Black stories within a diverse range of artistic disciplines that are reflective of his experiences as an eclectic and creative child, living in spaces where he was seen as different. The common trope of Black stories only being told as trauma-based narratives is one that he rejects, and he hopes to tell a broader range of tales that dip into the genres of sci-fi, horror, fantasy and more while also celebrating the culture of his community.
DIRECTOR BIO
Dem Lashawn Keilu is a current M.F.A. in filmmaking student at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has worked across multiple creative disciplines, including as a mosaic artist for the American Visionary Art Museum, a jewelry maker with Alitas Jewelry, and a social designer with New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services. Demi currently holds a B.A. degree in architecture from Morgan State University and a M.A. in Social Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
AWARDS
BEST BALTIMORE SHORT – 2021 Baltimore International Black Film Festival
SEMI-FINALIST – 2022 Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival
SEMI-FINALIST – 2022 Florida Shorts
SEMI-FINALIST – 2022 Hong Kong Indie Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2021 Austin’s Capital City Black Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2022 Bill Johnson Black Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2021 Katra Film Series
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2022 San Diego Black Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2022 Lift-Off Global New York Film Festival
FULL FILM
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Dem Lashawn Keilu is a current M.F.A. in filmmaking student at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has worked across multiple creative disciplines, including as a mosaic artist for the American Visionary Art Museum, a jewelry maker with Alitas Jewelry, and a social designer with New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services. Demi currently holds a B.A. degree in architecture from Morgan State University and a M.A. in Social Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
(Update provided in May 2021)