Meet Kamal Smith | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kamal Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kamal, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risk is almost mandatory when you think about becoming an entrepreneur. You can’t be timid or afraid to fail. Failing is apart of the process. Many people don’t take risks
because they think about “what if” it doesn’t happen. Operating with a scared mentality will never get you far in life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being a filmmaker is something I never dreamt of. As a writer I get so much joy from telling stories that people can relate to, and learn from. As a director, bringing that script to life gives me a whole different thrill. People watch movies and have no idea the amount of hard work it takes to get to the finish line. All they see is the end product but it’s a lot of sacrifice, time, and dedication that goes into making a movie. Sometimes it’s fighting the elements outside, sometimes it’s equipment failure, and sometimes it’s just figuring out situations on the fly including how to solve a problem in a timely fashion. I’ve gone broke, been evicted, and even had my car repossessed trying to live this dream but I’m glad I went through all those failures because it made me who I am today.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Downtown Detroit is definitely a vibe. We have dope restaurants like District 78 where all the celebrities come visit when they come in town! Campus Martius is a time no matter what season. If it’s summer, they have movies in the park and it’s only beach bar with really good food surrounding it with food truck vendors or Parc restaurant. Not to mention live band performances through out the summer. In the winer, they turn Campus Martius to an ice skating rink for people to enjoy. Although downtown Detroit is a vibe year round, you have to experience boat life in the summer. Detroit has many marinas that provides their own world for people to enjoy all summer long.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My “shoutout” goes to my mom. She has always allowed me to dream big and supported my every move going back to middle school. She has never missed a performance even back to the talent shows in middle school. She would drive me to all my practices and rehearsals or sometimes host them at our house. My mom has always been such a big influence in my life, and taught me the value of never cheating the system and to work hard.

Instagram: @kamsmith2

Facebook: kamal smith

Youtube: Kamal Smith

Image Credits
Tyrone Holmes