Faren Humes
Faren Humes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986 (age 39–40) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship (2021) |
Faren Humes (born 1986) is an American filmmaker. She directed the short film Liberty (2018), winning several film festival awards for it, including from the Berlin Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, and SXSW Film Festival. She is a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow.
Biography
Humes was born in 1986 in Miami.[1] She went to the University of Florida and originally studied broadcast journalism, before she instead became interested in film after seeing a student film at a party.[2] She then attended the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts and obtained an MFA in 2011.[3][4]
Humes' MFA thesis film Our Rhineland, a period drama that touches on Nazi eugenics, won a Academy of Television Arts & Sciences College Television Award and Director's Guild of America Student Film Award.[4][5] She also made another short called Macho, confronting themes such as Southern hypermasculinity and violence against transgender people in the United States.[6] Juan Antonio Barquin said that "Humes delivers work that feels relevant and necessary."[5] She was worked as a production designer and location manager, with her work including Moonlight (2016).[6][7] She also worked as a film teacher in Miami, as well as an intern for Jonathan Demme in New York.[5]
As a 2018 fellow for Film Independent's Project Involve project, Humes directed and wrote Liberty, a short film at the Liberty Square public housing complex in Miami.[6][8] Liberty used improvisation instead of a screenplay.[6] Vadim Rizov said that "Issues of politics, gentrification, community and epistemology subtly collide" in the film.[6] She won several awards for Liberty, including at the AFI Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Miami Film Festival, and SXSW Film Festival.[8] She was featured in Filmmaker's 25 New Faces of Independent Film 2019.[6]
In 2020, Humes participated in the 2nd Annual Black Women's Film Conference.[9] In 2021, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship[10] and a United States Artists Fellowship.[11]
Humes lives in Miami Gardens, Florida.[7]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Nasir | [2] | |
| 2011 | Our Rhineland | [2] | |
| 2016 | Macho | [2] | |
| 2019 | Liberty | As writer and director[8] | [2] |
| TBA | Don't Stop, Get It, Get It | [2] |
Awards
| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69th Berlin International Film Festival | 2019 | Special Prize of the Generation 14plus International Jury for Best Short Film | Liberty | Won | [12] |
| South by Southwest Film Festival | Documentary Feature Narrative Shorts Award | Won | [13] | ||
| 55th Chicago International Film Festival | Gold Hugo for Live Action Short Film Competition | Won | [14] |
References
- ^ "Faren Humes". Oolite Arts. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Rodriguez, Rene (October 10, 2021). "6 Miami filmmakers and their stories". The Miami Herald. p. A9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "ARTS AT FSU" (PDF). Florida State University College of Fine Arts. p. 44.
- ^ a b "Corrections". Tallahassee Democrat. August 6, 2011. p. 2.
- ^ a b c Barquin, Juan Antonio (December 7, 2016). "100 Creatives: Faren Humes' Films Explore Resistance by People of Color". Miami New Times. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f Rizov, Vadim (August 27, 2019). "Faren Humes". Filmmaker. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ a b Mayo, Christina (January 12, 2020). "2 filmmakers shine light on Liberty Square, Little Haiti". The Miami Herald. p. SW8 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Warren, Matt (March 18, 2020). "Watch Award-Winning Project Involve Short 'Liberty' and Go Behind the Scenes". Film Independent. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ Ellerson, Beti (2020). "African Women on the Film Festival Landscape". Black Camera. 12 (1): 87–88. doi:10.2979/blackcamera.12.1.05. ISSN 1536-3155.
- ^ "Faren Humes". Guggenheim Fellowships. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ^ Solomon, Tessa (February 3, 2021). "USA Artist Fellowships Go to Njideka Akunyili Crosby, rafa esparza, Carolyn Lazard, and More". ARTnews. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ ""Tattoo" wins Crystal Bear for best short at Berlin festival". Tehran Times. February 16, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ McNary, Dave (March 13, 2019). "SXSW Awards: 'Alice,' 'For Sama' Win Top Prizes". Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ Martin, Kasey (October 26, 2019). "PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE and VITALINA VARELA Win Top Awards At The 55th Chicago International Film Festival". Cinema Chicago. Retrieved February 14, 2026.