CREW | lunchdatefilm

DIRECTOR

Donnie Ray Banks

Donnie Ray Banks is a filmmaker from Morganton, NC. He earned his MFA in Film Production from Full Sail University, where we wrote and pitched the script for his class’ thesis film, Lunch Date, to the faculty. Upon selection of the project he directed a 50-person crew to complete the film.

Donnie has also earned his BA in Film Studies from Columbia University in NYC as well as an AFA in Drama from Western Piedmont Community College in his hometown. Donnie is a proud Army veteran that served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003-2004. He has over five years of experience in entertainment, where he has directed four short films, and written for six shorts and one feature that have been produced.

He has also served as a producer, editor, script supervisor, and dolly grip on several other projects, as well as acted in over twenty-five projects ranging from short and feature films, to plays, commercials and video games. The first short that he directed and co-wrote won three awards at the 2016 Asheville 48 Hr Film Project, including an Audience Favorite award. His original screenplay Homecoming was selected for the 2017 Queer Hippo International Film Festival. Donnie is the youngest son of a woman called Hank.

Donnie plans to return to Morganton to direct his first feature film.

PRODUCER

Kamry Bell

Kamry Bell is a writer and producer born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English from Winthrop University, and has recently earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida.

Since she was a young child, Kamry has longed to create stories with unique characters that leave lasting impressions. While at Winthrop University, Kamry served as Student Editor for the university’s writing center, and as Student Director for the Office of Diversity and Student Engagement. She was responsible for marketing these groups both online, and through the distribution and creation of daily newsletters. Before graduating, she created the blueprint for a diversity training program that would benefit both students and faculty members. She also had 2 short stories published in her university’s creative writing anthology.

While at Full Sail University, she served as a writer for several screenplays, including 2 shorts that were selected for thesis approval by a board of MFA program professors. Kamry served as producer on over 5 productions, including Lunch Date, Behind You, Bottom of the Bottle, and Pee Shy. As producer for her cohort’s thesis film, Lunch Date, Kamry hired and managed a crew of over 50 people, successfully marketed the film online, and created and maintained the film’s budget.