Join us for a screening of Never Leave Your Side, followed by a community conversation with independent film director, producer, and educator Torell Shavone Taylor, moderated by John Burton, Jr.

Working across film, television, and digital content, Torell Shavone is committed to telling authentic stories about people of color, with a focus on enhancing the presence of culturally resonant media and creating memorable narratives.

Most recently, her short film Never Leave Your Side was selected for the Atlanta Short Film Festival. Her documentary “Interview with The Stars” shot on location in Lagos, Nigeria was featured on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. She was Associate Producer on the feature film “All In” which won the Audience Award at the 2019 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and premiered on BET. She directed and produced music video “Clumsy” which made it’s world premiere on BET Her and BET Soul.

Amid directing and producing, Torell has worked as a film programmer for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture where she programmed films for NMAAHC’s state-of-the-art Oprah Winfrey Theater. She led the programming and production team for the first-ever inaugural Smithsonian African American Film Festival. She also managed production and programming for the Smithsonian +234 Film Festival at the National Museum of African Art. She worked as a producer – director of media production for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Torell hosted a conversation with Angela Bassett and Kevin Sullivan for 2023 Tribeca Film Festival’s 25th Anniversary Screening of How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Last year, she hosted a conversation for 2022 Tribeca Film Festival’s 25th Anniversary screening of Eve’s Bayou. Torell has been featured in Black Enterprise, MSNBC, The New York Times, Deadline, Essence and Ebony.

Torell is an alumna of Howard University MFA Film Program. She has served on the US Narrative and Documentary screening committees for the 2021 and 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. She is a member of the African American Film Critics Association.