Jaiden Thompson

Jaiden Thompson graduated with honors in 2021 from New York University's (NYU) Tisch School Of The Arts with a BFA in Film and Television. While at NYU, he was the Head of Production for the Delta Kappa Alpha cinematic fraternity. Thompson's work ethic and the quality of his film projects earned him high praise from both his peers and NYU's staff. His engaging short films have screened at NYU's annual Welcome Week Film Festival and NYU's Sight & Sound Showcase where the Film Department showcase their students' best work. Thompson finds his love of filmmaking to be bitter sweet. Whenever he does research on his favorite films, in regards to who the writers, directors, and cinematographers were of these projects, they were rarely if ever people of color. Therefore, as a person of Jamaican and Honduran descent, he found it challenging to gather relatable information that could help guide his path as an aspiring filmmaker who has to navigate in an industry dominated by white males. Not one to be discouraged by any obstacle, Thompson realized that there wasn't a blueprint written for him, so therefore he must construct his own pathway. In the summer of 2019, Thompson directed a self-funded feature length film, titled Fade In, based on a short film he directed a year prior. Fade In tells the story of an undocumented Guatemalan teenage aspiring filmmaker who falls in love with her female Muslim classmate and the fallout that occurs when their families discover the relationship. Fade In went on to premiere at the 2020 Morehouse Human Rights Film Festival where it was nominated for Best Narrative Feature Film. The challenges Thompson faced while directing this feature film, not only taught him more about filmmaking, but it made him realize that with his Jamaican and Honduran background, he had a unique voice and perspective that he could share with the film industry and general audiences while at the same time helping to diversify the medium of film. In Spring of 2021, Jaiden Thompson was just one of 50 students chosen from across the country by the Television Academy Foundation members to participate in their prestigious 2021 Summer Directing Fellows program.