Chris Cole

Chris Cole is a Brooklyn based writer/director/producer originally hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California. A recent graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, Chris’s work stands at the intersection of hip hop, comedy, and race relations. His 2015 short “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late”, the darkly comic story of an obsessed Drake fan, was featured on The Fader, Noisey, Pigeons and Planes, and screened at the Nitehawk Shorts Fest in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Chris followed it up with “See Me in My Black Skin” a comedic short produced as part of MTV’s Look Different Creator Competition. In 2016, Chris was selected to direct “Stella with the World on her Shoulders” produced as part of NYU’s Advanced Television Workshop. The pilot was supported by a grant from the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, and was featured as the December 2017 short of the month on Issa Rae’s Short Film Sundays. As a contributing writer for HipHopDX, Chris has interviewed the likes of Migos and Jamie xx. Chris is also a music video producer and director, frequently collaborating with Chicago based collective Dial Up. Currently, Chris is listening to too many podcasts, developing a feature-length screenplay, and working in production on commercials. When he’s not working, Chris can be found bumping Frank Ocean in Prospect Park or reminding his twin brother that he is the older twin by one minute. His work can be found at YungChris.com.

What drew you to the MA Arts Politics program?

I wanted to join a program that would allow me to develop myself as an artist and deepen my foundation of what inspires me as a creator. The idea of being able to do this while also being in conversation with artists of different disciplines really intrigued me, and I also look forward to putting together my project in the second semester.