Famous filmmaker to visit university

Kevin Willmott, co-writer of “BlacKkKlansman,” will give an invitation-only workshop about storytelling in films on March 13. 

Bryan Cardinale-Powell, associate film professor, said the workshop is primarily for select film, theater and English students.

Willmott will run the workshop during the day, and later that night there will be a free screening of his movie, “Destination: Planet Negro,” at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, where he will be available for a question-and-answer session afterward, moderated by James Cooper.

Willmott currently teaches at the University of Kansas and is a screenwriter and filmmaker.

He is known for working and collaborating with Spike Lee, whom he shared the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman.”

Cameron Hawkins, film sophomore, was one of the students selected to attend the workshop.

“I am really happy they are giving us the opportunity to talk about this and work with someone who is a professional in the industry,” he said.

Hawkins said he is excited to attend the workshop and go over story telling with Willmott.

“I think storytelling is so important, and I am excited to learn about Willmott’s technique and his way of doing things,” Hawkins said.

Tracy Floreani, director of the film institute and coordinator of the event, said she talked to Cardinale-Powell, who sits on the advisory committee, to decide who they should bring in as a guest this year.

“We started having this conversation about how we always bring poets, but it would be nice to bring other types of writers and film creators now and then, so last year, after he won the Oscar for BlacKkKlansman, I contacted him because he and I have friends in common,” Floreani said.

Floreani said Willmott immediately responded and said he would like to come.

“I knew he’d be an interesting person to ask because he’s also a university professor, so I knew he would know the audience and have ideas for what kinds of things students would be interested in,” Floreani said. 

Floreani said students were selected and invited based on their program because the masterclass is focused on storytelling.

The workshop itself is invitation-only, but the Oklahoma City Museum of Art will host a free screening of Willmott’s film “Destination: Planet Negro!” followed by a talkback by Willmott. The event is open to the public.

“The movie being shown is very funny, it’s retro, intentionally looks low budget, but also raises very interesting social questions,” Floreani said.

Students interested in meeting and talking with Kevin Willmott can attend the free screening and talkback at 8 p.m. March 13 at OKCMA located at 415 Couch Dr., Oklahoma City, OK 73102.