Terrisha Kearse

Terrisha Kearse is what happens when tunnel vision goes right. Her Plan A is directing. Plan B is directing. Plan C is also directing. Yet, there was a time when a career as a director wasn't even on Kearse's radar. The Florida native and LA transplant was plotting a course toward criminology when a college film class changed her mind-set forever. Her professor had studied under Martin Scorcese and was able to break down how the legendary filmmaker made his signature scenes. After that, Kearse was hooked and began seeing life through her own lens. The ways a camera can capture a person's reality and create a truly intimate tableau simply blew her mind. Kearse began working as a First AD (Assistant Director) on various film and music projects such as Studio, Eliot Popkin's music video "I Don't Wanna" and the "Dare To Be Domestic" pilot. She also enjoyed a position at "Regis and Kelly." A natural writer with an innate interest in detecting the truth, Kearse found her abilities lent themselves well to her directorial work. Recently, Kearse directed and co-wrote her first feature film entitled 10-20 (pronounced "10 to 20"), which won the HBO Best Feature Film Award at the 2009 Martha Vineyard's African American Film Festival (MVAAFF). The work was inspired by true life events from Kearse's past. The film's title, 10-20, originates from the Florida law that guarantees a 10-year sentence for possession of an unlicensed firearm, and 20 years to life if the gun is aimed at a person with the intent to shoot or kill. Kearse produced the feature under her production company, Driver Seat Productions. Her goal is to create amazing stories that have yet to be told in drama, suspense, music videos, and commercials. A constant student of life, Kearse is still discovering new truths and ever-evolving her method of storytelling.