Private Project

Duran Jones-NO DRAMA-2024

Dieudonne (25, Black Male) is a descendant of an ancient African tribe of Daywalkers who are being hunted by vampires, known as Burners. The Daywalkers are blessed by the Gods with eternal youth, strength, speed, and other supernatural abilities. Legend has it that the Burners ate the heart of the original Daywalker Chief's firstborn; stealing the Daywalker powers. They succeeded but were cursed for their actions and must eat the heart of the Daywalker Chief's last descendant to lift their curse.

To protect their legacy, the Daywalker tribe has lived in hiding knowing that "the one" the Burners seek (Dieudonne) is the key to lifting the vampire curse of bloodlust and eternal darkness. In the 9th ward of New Orleans, unbeknown to the Burners, Dieudonne has become the father of a newborn baby boy and this means he is no longer the one who must be protected. One night on his way home, he learns the threat may be closer than he expected. Now, Dieudonne must protect his family from the Burners who threaten the life of his son and the legacy of his tribe.

  • Duran Jones
    Director
    SATURDAY, Jerome, Hallelujah, FIVE
  • Duran Jones
    Writer
    SATURDAY, Jerome, Hallelujah, FIVE
  • Duran Jones
    Producer
    SATURDAY, Jerome, Hallelujah, FIVE
  • Lauren Rausaw
    Producer
    A Black Saturday, The Garden of Edette
  • Jordan Tyner
    Producer
    African Giants, We Were Meant To
  • Deni Johnson
    Producer
    SATURDAY, JULIA
  • Christina Chuyue Wen
    Sound Design
    American Fiction, Stranger in the Woods, Gen V
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Swahili
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Duran Jones

Duran Jones is a graduate of The American Film Institute Conservatory, class of 2021. During his AFI tenure, he also graduated from the 2020 PGA Power of Diversity workshop, where his pilot “Daywalker,” was a standout. In 2021 he was selected as a Sundance Feature Film Producers Lab Fellow with the script "The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones, which is currently in development with Netflix and 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks (Spike Lee). “Hallelujah” the short film proof of concept for that feature, produced by Jones, won the Grand Prix for Best Short and the Best Producer Award at the Holly Shorts Film Festival; qualifying for the Oscars. Jones is currently building his independent film slate under his company BLK MGC Content and teaches creative producing as an adjunct professor.

Creative Portfolio: https://vimeo.com/916632913/ea1ee842d6?

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

What do you know about Vampires? Their pale skin and weakness to sunlight, their origins in Transylvania, and of course, their insatiable thirst for our blood. Now, what if that is only a tiny piece of the truth? The other half-truth is that vampires do not come from Romania, but the ancient civilization of Kush, and that these original Vampires of our nightmares and these daywalkers of Africa have been fighting an endless war under our noses.

I have always had an affinity for vampire movies. Since I was a child I watched vampire films from “Dracula” to “Queen of the Damned” and "Underworld." I know the important contributions to the genre made by Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer. However, I was never able to see one that spoke directly to me as a young African American male. One that I could watch with my friends; hear my voice and see my face.

I have often heard myths like, “black people don’t watch sci-fi,” or “black people have no interest in worlds of fantasy,” but that is far from true. With the harsh reality of being a black child, the one world that I could run to and feel safe was one full of fictitious magic, science, and superpowers. Inside of these worlds, I could fly and blow up cars with my eyes, but in reality could be teased, harassed, or shot 19 times for pulling out my wallet. We retreat to our imaginations to feel safe.

We are now living in a world where “Black Panther'' has shattered many of these myths and where “The Children of Blood and Bone,” by Tomi Adeyimi, a New York Times Best Seller, is being adapted for the screen by Gina Prince Bythewood. Audiences are now hungrier than ever for fresh perspectives and a more accurate depiction of the world we live in. Today, our schools, workplaces, and friends are just as diverse as hitting shuffle on Apple Music. Dieudonne is a story that I believe speaks to the children we were while harnessing the adults we’ve become.