Explore the origins of Shendopen and what the latest rebrand means for the future of Shendopen's storytelling.

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our inspiring conversation.

Filmmaker Michael Williams grew up and currently lives in West Point. After noticing Evans’ displays for Black History Month as well as Pride Month, he decided to use his birthday, which falls in June during Pride month, as a way to support his home library and raise funds to expand its LGBTQ+ collections.

This exclusive interview with Jen Mulvihill on Geeky Side TV's On The Page, Michael Williams discusses his career, OzLand, and his latest script, "Out in the Open", which is currently in development! Watch now on Roku, FireTV, and online!

The visual aesthetic of THE DINNER PARTY looks to the paintings of Baroque and Rococo artists like Caravaggio or Ribera for inspiration in its look and feel, particularly with the layering of color and the intricate design of negative space within the context of the story.

At the 94th annual West Point Growth Alliance Banquet March 3rd, 2020, Michael Williams was awarded Citizen of the Year for his contributions to his local community throughout his career as a filmmaker, business owner, film festival president, and visual artist/storyteller.

For our series “What’s in Your Kit?,” we ask a range of working cinematographers to share the gear they can’t live without.

Michael Williams is the writer, director and cinematographer of supernatural thriller feature The Atoning. Starring Virginia Newcomb, Michael LaCour and Cannon Bosarge, Williams’ second feature (after 2014’s OzLand) was shot over 12 days in Mississippi, in a single house location. The Atoning released in September of 2017 in the U.S. followed by releases in Brazil, Germany, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Mexico.

Michael Williams of West Point, MS, has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the nearly $1.4 million in grants the Commission awarded in 2018-2019 and will be used to support and continue the development of future film projects. The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Filmmaker, Michael Williams, joined Rebecca Turner on Good Things to share his journey to becoming a full-time filmmaker in Mississippi.

In-depth interview with Michael Williams discussing The Atoning, OzLand, and making movies in Mississippi.

An in-depth interview with writer/director Michael Williams in his hometown of West Point, MS He discusses the making of OzLand and making movies in Mississippi for this segment of Mississippi Roads on MPB.

A filmmaker has to muster courage to make a film smart and to give it heart. When he can showcase his many filmmaking talents among the wheat fields of Kansas, and is also be able to demonstrate that “There’s No Place Like Home” using his own home town, it’s obvious he’s not your average movie maker…

He’s a Wizard of Cinema.

Ozland is rich with detail and powerful character-driven storytelling. Written, produced and directed by Michael Williams, the film is a singular vision that follows Leif and Emri as they travel across a barren wasteland in search of a place to call home.

West Point’s Michael Williams builds on success of films that have shown worldwide

In-depth interview about life, career, and storytelling with filmmaker Michael Williams via Memphis Voyager Magazine.

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The music video for Josey Greenwell's dance track "Me or Her" marks Michael Williams' return to music video directing where his passion for cinematic storytelling blends sexy choreography and hypnotic editing. 

The movie is shot beautifully by cinematographer Michael Williams. I was surprised how perfectly lit each scene was, supplementing the performances with mood lighting that perfectly meshes with each situation.

Williams was recently interviewed about his work as a visual storyteller in Mississippi.

Independent filmmaker Michael Williams of West Point has more stories to tell. A $5,000 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) will help him do it. Williams has begun development of his third feature film, "Rosemary." The psychological drama about a reclusive woman driven to the brink of insanity by a mysterious abyss that appears in her basement follows Williams' 2014 feature debut, "OzLand," and 2017's "The Atoning."

How to Make a Killer Horror Film in One Location with Michael Williams

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If you have a micro or no budget feature film shooting in one location will make life a lot easier. Now, how do you make that one location look great and not boring through your film? Indie Filmmaker Michael Williams did just that with his new horror film The Atoning. 

Following critical acclaim for his award-winning film, OzLand, Writer-Director-Producer Michael Williams‘ new feature film, The Atoning, lands an out-of-this-world distribution deal with Redbox.

So like I did when I first discovered the awesomeness of Alfred Hitchcock when I was a teenager, I dived right on in despite my fear of scary movies because I just had to see what Michael came up with this time since he had so touched me with his last film. And Michael does not disappoint at all.

It’s brilliant!  The story is complete and fulfilling; such an impressive accomplishment. The cinematography is extraordinary and meticulous.  It’s shot like it was backed by a major studio with a blockbuster budget.

Writer-director-producer Michael Williams melds that persistent mythos to a post-apocalyptic framework in OzLand, a kind of dystopian Western in which two survivors trek across the sprawling desolate wasteland our planet has somehow become...[OzLand] is still a more accurate rendering of the books' spirit than Oz the Great and Powerful.

After an award-winning festival run and regional tour, OzLand releases theatrically in Hollywood, CA in October of 2015.