© Reece Grant, 2021. All rights reserved
© Reece Grant, 2021. All rights reserved
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ABOUT REECE GRANT / SHORT BIO
Reece Grant AKA Don Teks (Don Tekkers) is a London based Black British multidisciplinary artist, realist, film director, producer, screenwriter, designer, aesthete which was born and raised in South East London, Lewisham. Reece is a perfectionist, he specialises in directing and writing social realism, neo-noir, crime, drama, dramedy, and black movies. He's passionate about mental health awareness, creating commercially accessible stories with a social commentary, and using black lead actors and non-professional actors. Reece is also a recipient of the 2022 Prince William BAFTA Bursary.
From 2007 to 2011 Reece attended Thomas Tallis Secondary School (Art School), in 2009, when he was in Year 9 his alternative career choice was to choose the business route, he had intentions of studying Business Studies. Lucky enough his art teacher Mr. O'brien was fascinated by his drawings, paintings, and collages and saw the vision in Reece's artistic talent so he begged his mother at parents evening to study BTEC art and design or art for his GCSE'S as he believed Reece was extremely talented and his artwork was better than the majority of O'Brien's year 11 students. He told his mother he could go far and he shouldn't waste his artistic talent as he's one of the best artists in the school. Reece took Mr. O'Brien's advice and studied BTEC Art & Design and received 4 A*s, he then continued his creative journey in the arts by studying A-Level Media Studies, Photography, and Graphics Communications at Christ the King College (CTK). In the summer of 2013 Reece finished college, he also got accepted into Met Film School and got the opportunity to be an apprentice at Warner Brother Studios Leavesden and to live in Hertfordshire. Reece's mother's traditional and wanted him to attend film school instead, so he ended up studying for a degree instead of an apprenticeship.
From 2013 to 2014 Reece studied a BA in Practical Filmmaking. In 2014, he released his proof of concept film named "THE HOOD" which is a fifteen minute realism, crime drama short film (knife crime film) he created at Met Film School. THE HOOD was based on personal and true events he experienced in Lewisham. Reece wrote, directed, edited, and produced this short film when he was nineteen, "THE HOOD" is Reece's most successful film, the short film has amassed over 2 million Youtube views on his own channel. Reece dropped out of film school after he created "THE HOOD" and immediately went to work as an intern and runner for several production companies and worked as a freelance video editor.
In 2015, he got selected by National Youth Film Academy for their series "NYFA TOP 5 " which showcased their five favourite UK film directors under the age of 25, this was broadcast on all four of the "Made TV" regional TV channels.
Before Reece's art career he was mainly known for football, as he represented his borough playing for both Lewisham and Blackheath district and in 2011 he played for Crystal Palace F.C. Academy for six months and was one of the best and skillful footballers in his age group in Lewisham borough. He earned the nickname "Don Tekkers" by his friends, teammates, and football coaches as he had the title of being the fastest runner and best footballer in his year at Secondary School from Year 7-11, and was always the most skillful player or one of the most skillful players on the pitch. He decided to end his career in 2011 to focus on art when he snapped his Achilles heel and got released from Crystal Palace. Football has been a big part of Reece's childhood so Reece will include the football aspect again for when he makes his debut feature film "THE HOOD".
The majority of Reece's film and TV scripts are based on his personal events, true events, black culture, and youth culture. Reece's artwork and visuals are heavily influenced by realism, London, youth culture, and his experiences on the streets of Lewisham. After years of perfecting his craft, since 2012, Reece has found his own style, he has a very dark aesthetic and is very consistent with his tone and style, and loves handheld documentary style shooting and to include realism into his screenwriting, short films, TV pilots, and music videos. His taste has stemmed from his love for art house films, direct cinema, noir films, black & white, documentary, and noir photography, Reece is currently working towards his debut television screenwriting and directorial debut credit for television. Reece has co-created and co-written a dramedy TV pilot named "LIFE OF L'S" with his friend "Josiah Mutupa" (I MAY DESTROY YOU) who's a professional actor represented by Curtis Brown. LIFE OF L'S has caught the attention of multiple commissioners at Channel 4, BBC, and also "Erin Beaurem" who's the development assistant for A list Actress and producer "Gabrielle Union" (BAD BOYS II).
Reece has been taught screenwriting at Met Film School and Raindance, and by film producer, founder of Raindance Film Festival and the founder of the British Independent Film Awards "Elliot grove", script editor, television drama consultant, and the author of "Writing Television - Series, serials, soaps" "Yvonne Grace". Reece has also been taught by the film, TV, and theatre, director, producer, and screenwriter legend "Alby James OBE FRSA" whose career spans more than four decades. Reece has been selected for both the Pro-create/S.O.U.L fest 2021 - 2022 mentee programme and British Independent Film Awards 2021 - 2022 mentee programme. Reece got selected to be 1 of 40 emerging writers, directors, and producers, on the BIFA 2021 - 2022 mentee programme, his new mentor is "Jessica Loveland". Reece has also previously been mentored by music video director "Rollo Jackson", and BAFTA Award-winning producer "Dominic Buchanan" (The End of the F***ing World).
Reece's ambition is to make classic art house films, TV shows and be a world-renowned auteur, fashion designer and be a household name in the film, television and fashion industry.
FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME:
Goodfellas
FAVOURITE CRIME DRAMA/THRILLER MOVIES:
Fight Club, City of God, Pusher, Queen and Slim, Taken, The Dark Knight, and Get Out
FAVOURITE CRIME DRAMA TV SHOWS:
Breaking Bad, Gomorrah, The Wire, Top Boy, Power, Snowfall and Ozark
FAVOURITE COMEDY/DRAMEDY MOVIES:
Friday, House Party, Superbad, Hangover and Do the right thing
FAVOURITE COMEDY/DRAMEDY/TEEN DRAMA TV SHOWS:
Everybody Hates Chris, Big Bang Theory, My Wife and Kids, Sex Education, Atlanta, and Euphoria
ARTICLES:
https://www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/bafta-crew/on-set-real-bafta-stories
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-60462191
ACCOLADES:
2023
Reece won a YOUR CINEMA mentorship, Reece was selected by Eddie Sternberg for a 6 month mentorship.
2022
Reece was awarded by BAFTA the 2022 Prince William BAFTA Bursary.
2022
Reece was 1 of the 35 directors who got selected by Center Frame for their Get it made competition, he was shortlisted out of 100+ directors.
2022
Reece joined as a member of the Independent Film Trust. Reece has a Catalyst Pro membership, this membership is by recommendation only, he was given a free membership. Reece was also shortlisted as a writer for Sony Television Pictures / IFT Creative Corridor.
2022
Reece joined as a member of the Sara Putt Associates Foundation scheme, this foundation scheme is by recommendation only.
2021
Reece was 1 of the 40 emerging writers, directors, and producers who got selected by the British Independent Film Awards for their 2021-2022 mentorship programme. Reece's mentor was Jessica Loveland, Head of New Writing at BBC. (1 of 40 mentees)
2021
Reece was 1 of the 50 emerging UK black filmmakers who got selected by The New Black Film Collective, S.O.U.L Fest and Screen Skills for the Screenskills/Pro-create mentorship programme. Reece's mentor was BAFTA Award-winning producer Dominic Buchanan. (1 of 50 mentees)
2015
Reece got selected by the National Youth Film Academy for their series "NYFA TOP 5" which showcased
their 5 favourite UK film directors under the age of 25. (1 of 5 directors)
2014
Reece's proof of concept film (Met Film School graduation film) THE HOOD has amassed over 1.9 million YouTube views. At Reece's graduation, THE HOOD was one of the best graduation short films and had a great reception from the audience in the cinema. This film is Reece's most successful short film and has also gained a large following and amassed over 15K likes. Reece's fans demand a sequel for THE HOOD.
CURRENT MENTORS:
Eddie Sternberg - Writer and Director (I Used to Be Famous)
Chris Addison - Comedian, Writer, Actor, Director and EMMY Award Winning Producer (The Thick of It, Mock The Week, Veep & Breeders)
PREVIOUS MENTORS:
Alby James OBE - Script Consultant, Theatre Director and Producer for Film and Television
Dominic Buchanan - BAFTA Award-Winning Film and Television Producer
Jessica Loveland - Head of New Writing BBC / BBC Writersroom
Rollo Jackson - Music video and commercials director represented by SOMESUCH
EDUCATION
MET FILM SCHOOL - Cert HE Practical Filmmaking
RAINDANCE - Fast track for Writers, Directors and Producers
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BAFTA Awards
© Reece Grant, 2024. All rights reserved