Bryan D. HOPKINS

Bryan D. Hopkins is an independent filmmaker based in Detroit, MI. He is best known for his narra[ve film QING LOU NU (The Pros[tute), for which he was awarded “Best Director” at the Detroit Independent Film Fes[val. The film also won two "Best Short Film" accolades at the Detroit Windsor Interna[onal Film Fes[val and the Philadelphia Independent Film Fes[val. DIRTY ENERGY is Hopkins feature directorial debut and highlights his passion for raw and honest storytelling. Although a narra[ve filmmaker at heart, Hopkins embarked on this documentary journey because of the anger and helplessness he felt watching the television screen as oil gushed into the sea from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. He perceived a void in mainstream media coverage of the disaster. Where were the stories on the tough personal struggles of those immediately affected by the spill? He passionately felt these stories needed to be explored more fully, and with an unblinking eye. Producing the film on a micro-­‐budget, Hopkins slept on couches and lived in the homes of the “local” people featured in DIRTY ENERGY. Ul[mately, this allowed him to capture the real stories of ordinary folks more deeply than he imagined. Hopkins is currently in the process of producing two narra[ve features that con[nue in his favored mode of storytelling—raw and with a social jus[ce theme.