Filmmaker Spotlight

Shannon Newby

A born and raised native of Philadelphia, Shannon Newby fell in love with filmmaking at a very early age. By age nine he told his parents he wanted to be 'a movie director.' In 1987 Newby won the city wide Black History Oratorical contest with his speech 'Apartheid the Struggle Continues' and was honored on national television, along with then retired Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger at the constitution bicentennial celebration. After graduating The Philadelphia High school for the Creative and Performing Arts, Newby attended the Community College of Philadelphia studying Television and Motion Picture Production courses. During his enrollment he produced and directed two documentaries Life on the Blacktop and the acclaimed I Have a Name. In 1995 he started the film and video production company Out the House Motion Pictures. Two years later under his company he wrote, produce, and directed the feature film Dirty Laundry (Air it Out). Dirty Laundry won a best director award at the Atlantic City film festival and a best feature film award at the Philadelphia International film festival. After receiving inequitable offers for distribution, Newby learned the business of video distribution and self distributed the film to Blockbuster Video nationwide. Newby a 2004 Pennsylvania Pew Fellowship finalist is currently writing, producing, directing and promoting his new short film television series Heavy Sedation on WYBE public television. http://www.outthehouse.com