Help Hans bring his short film to life

A New Short Film from Hans Augustave



Nwa is a drama about a Haitian-American boy named Frantz. After he’s dropped off at the barbershop, he is left with a decision: get the haircut his immigrant father approves of; or a trendy cut, connecting him to the Black American culture he’s been warned not to embrace.

Director’s Statement

Though this is my story, it is not an autobiography, but rather an amalgamation of personal and shared experiences and conversations within and without my culture. My focus on vulnerability and compassion will provide a fresh and nuanced approach to the harsh and painful subjects touched upon within the film. I’m speaking to those who want to heal from the curse of being Black while embracing the gift of being Black. I’m sharing it for all the Black children who were told they weren’t Black enough while simultaneously being called niggers. For the Indian girl who goes hungry for fear of opening her lunch box at school. I’m sharing it for all the teens who gave up on exploring their individual identities because “we don’t do that”.

MEET THE TEAM

Hans Augustave is a Haitian-American filmmaker living through his various creative expressions with the intent to heal. His purpose is especially to shine a light on Blackness and its many beautiful, ugly, complex, 4-dimensional facets.

His journey has taken him from the art of spoken word, to the stage and now to the screen with projects such as Before I Knew (Best Short Short - Harlem International Film Festival). Hans is also the co-producer of documentary The Forgotten Occupation, currently in post-production, which examines the United States’ occupation of Haiti from 1915-1934 and its negative impacts on Haiti’s current politics. He is a member of the DGA and works on various film and TV projects.

Daisy Zhou is a cinematographer and director based in Los Angeles. Growing up between Shanghai and Pennsylvania, the one constant in her life was making art & trying to grapple with the eclectic worlds she was experiencing. Since graduating-she's focused her career on cinematography in the commercial and fashion spaces. Her 2017 work with Nike's Be True campaign is only the start of her relationship with films on dance, gender and sexuality, and identity. Her work for Nike's BeTrue campaign has been featured as the #1 spot on AdForum's best ads of the week Worldwide, Adage's Ad of the Week, and Business of Fashion's #2 top Fashion Films of the season, as well as countless other publications such as Times, Nylon, Essense, Adland, and Mic. In 2018, she was listed as AdWeek's Top 100 Creatives as one of the Top 15 Film and TV Directors raising the standard for storytelling. She was the only director in Cannes Young Director Award 2018 showcase to have two films shortlisted this year: Janelle Monae on Afrofuturism with Spotify, and Nike's Be True campaign with Leiomy Maldonaldo. In 2019, she finished work as a 2nd unit DOP for a Lions Gate narrative feature "Antebellum" starring Janelle Monae- and has since shot campaigns for Gillette, Comfort, Aston Martin, Renault, Citreon, Ford and Apple.

Bruno Vernaschi-Berman is an Argentinian producer based in Brooklyn, New York. He has worked on a number of feature films, including Eleanor Wilson and Alex Fischer’s SAVE YOURSELVES! (Sundance 2020), Lawrence Levine’s BLACK BEAR (Sundance 2020), Halina Reijn’s and A24’s BODIES BODIES BODIES (SXSW 2022), as well as Ian Barling’s short, SAFE (Cannes 2021). Vernaschi is dedicated to supporting up-and-coming creatives focused on telling vital stories with unique characters that amplify voices from all walks of life.

RaaShauna 'Raa' Payne is a North Carolina native who proudly leads Produced by Raa LLC. She enjoys the process of constructing all forms of visual art and has made it her continuing mission to amplify the stories of the unheard and unseen. She specializes in producing short films, commercials, short-form content feature films, and music videos. Miss Payne is most proud of the fact that she has created an environment that encourages and inspires people in the industry to excel by staying true to their art. She prioritizes creating a community of artists and providing the world with true depictions of the reality that we live in.

Matthew is a New York based filmmaker with a passion for promoting diverse voices and unique stories rooted in empathy. He has worked on varous productions such as MOONLIGHT, NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS, and THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. He has produced 8 short films, and is currently producing an independent feature film. He aims to promote a positive, inclusive and healthy workspace environment with hopes of setting a standard in the industry.

Thank You for reading

Please consider donating to help with production costs including cast, crew, equipment, locations, food, as well as post production editing, sound, and color.