Cole Swanson

Cole Swanson is an award-winning independent filmmaker and creative director/founder of the fashion and art publication, Black Swan Magazine. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Cole was exposed to the world of visual storytelling at an early age through his parents who are celebrated filmmakers. Cole has been recognized both nationally and internationally with numerous awards for his satirical short film, Black Don't Crack (2018), and has also had his work screened and taught at Atlanta's historically Black liberal arts school, Spelman College. Cole's latest Award Winning project Baby (2021) starring Elijah Rashad Reed and 8x NAACP Image Award Nominee Vanessa Bell Calloway, won Best Short at Harlem International Film Festival, has screened at the Pan African Film Festival, BlackHarvest Film Festival, LA Shorts International, and was nominated for an HBO Short Film Award at the OSCAR Qualifying Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival. Aside from his narrative work, Cole has worked with creative teams like Converse both in front of and behind the camera. Cole also works intimately with Universal Music Group and °1824 creating content for artists such as James Blake, Selena Gomez, Big Sean, Lana del Rey, and more. Cole studied Film & Television Production at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and England's very own National Film and Television School with a focus on writing and directing.