Eugene Ashe

Eugene Ashe
Film director, Actor, Composer
Principal country concerned : Column : Cinema/tv

Eugene began his career as a major label recording artist on Sony Music's Epic/550 label, as part of the R&B band Funky Poets along with his cousins Chris Jordan, RedRay and Paul Frazier. By 1995, Eugene had amassed three Billboard charted singles, and a gold record (from the "Free Willy" Soundtrack) to his credit.

In 1997, Eugene co-wrote and performed the score to Tom Fontana's CBS Pilot "Firehouse." Eugene also performed a small acting role in the pilot, among an all-star cast that included: Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver), Burt Young (Rocky), and Edie Falco and Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos), just to name a few. That performance led to two more acting appearances in Fontana's next project: HBO's "OZ."

Through his involvement with these projects, Eugene turned his attention to writing for television and film. By 1999 he had landed a job as a series writer on TV Land's Ultimate Fan Search, a game show hosted by Chuck Woolery, with guest host Barbara Eden. That same year, Eugene became a contributing writer on another game-show: A&E's "History IQ," hosted by Marc Summers, and also shot his first short film entitled "Sylvie's Love" which was nominated as best short in the 1999 Pan-African film festival. In late 1999, Eugene began working as a storyboard artist, on the Universal Pictures film "Loving Jezebel," directed by close friend Kwyn Bader. After the film wrapped, Eugene and Kwyn collaborated on the screenplay entitled "A Man In The Son," which was briefly set up at Miramax pictures, with 40 Acres And A Mule as Executive Producer; the concept is now being developed for television.

Eugene's screenplay, entitled "The Draft Dodger," was developed during his fellowship at the Writer's Guild of America Diversity Lab, and was a final-round contestant for the 2006 Sundance Screenwriter's Lab.

"Homecoming," tells the poignant story of five friends who attended a Historically Black University together in the 90's. While gathering for Homecoming weekend at the house that was once their off-campus dorm, news of one member's recent death forces the friends to reflect on the past; rekindle relationships; reveal secrets; and redefine their lives.

Homecoming debuted as an off-Broadway play in 2010 and enjoyed a sold out run. In 2012, it was adapted into a feature film, and it is Eugene's debut as a feature film director.

The film has been nominated for numerous festival jury awards including: HBO's Best Feature and the Saatchi & Saatchi Producer's Award, at the 2012 Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival; Best Feature Film at the 2012 Bronze lens Film Festival in Atlanta; and Best Director - First Feature at the 2013 Pan-African Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Homecoming (2012) is being distributed by Image Entertainment, a division of RLJ Entertainment, in association with One Village Entertainment and Seven Letter Word Films.

Source:
http://sevenletterwordfilms.com/7_Letter_Word/About_The_Director.html

Partners

  • Arterial network
  • Media, Sports and Entertainment Group (MSE)
  • Gens de la Caraïbe
  • Groupe 30 Afrique
  • Alliance Française VANUATU
  • PACIFIC ARTS ALLIANCE
  • FURTHER ARTS
  • Zimbabwe : Culture Fund Of Zimbabwe Trust
  • RDC : Groupe TACCEMS
  • Rwanda : Positive Production
  • Togo : Kadam Kadam
  • Niger : ONG Culture Art Humanité
  • Collectif 2004 Images
  • Africultures Burkina-Faso
  • Bénincultures / Editions Plurielles
  • Africiné
  • Afrilivres

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