Award-winning writer-director Kira Powell on her short film Best Eyes

For our latest spotlight series episode, we sat down with Kira Powell, an award-winning writer-director whose ground breaking work explores themes like identity, belonging, and the immigrant experience. Her short film BEST EYES has just been nominated for Outstanding Short Form (Live Action) at the NAACP Image Awards, a recognition that highlights the film’s impact and resonance. You can watch the incredible film here.   BEST EYES premiered at the Academy Award®–qualifying Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) and has screened at Urbanworld, Micheaux, and festivals worldwide. The film won the 2024 DGA Student Jury Award and earned 1st place in the Afro-Latino Short Film Competition presented by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA). Kira is currently developing a feature-length version of BEST EYES.   A Los Angeles–based graduate of the American Film Institute Conservatory with an MFA in Directing, Kira brings over a decade of professional on-set experience to her filmmaking. She has a deep sensitivity to character, informed by her work as an actor, and her additional shorts have, screened at Screamfest, Tallgrass, and Black Harvest. Beyond film, she created the award-winning solo show Caught in the Mix, exploring Black-Latinx identity to sold-out audiences in Los Angeles.