Keaton Smith

Directing

Birthplace: Louisiana, USA

Hailing from Louisiana, Keaton's debut feature, The Story of Christopher Jenkins premiered at SXSW as an expanded cinematic narrative "live" performance. His work is inspired by the avant-garde filmmakers such as Jordan Belson, Chris Marker, Stan Brakhage, Harry Smith, as well as silent-era filmmakers like Abel Gance and Carl Theodor Dreyer. Keaton's short film, Abbygail Was Here, won best drama and best actress at the Austin After Dark Film Festival. Boundary pushing narratives and formal experimentation is a consistent thread throughout his work. More recently, Keaton has delved into more dramatic and serial work. His docu-series, 16 Rachels, combines cinema verite and found footage to uncover common vulnerabilities among sixteen women scattered across the country who all share the same name.