Storm Saulter (born September 21, 1983) is a Jamaican filmmaker and photographer. He wrote and directed the 2010 film ''Better Mus' Come'' and directed the 2018 film ''Sprinter''. In 2020, ''Sprinter'' was released on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
.
Life and career
Saulter was born in
Negril
Negril is a small (pop. 6,900) but widely dispersed beach resort and town located in Westmoreland and Hanover parishes at the far western tip of Jamaica, southwest from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
Westmoreland is the we ...
,
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispan ...
, on September 21, 1983.
One of his brothers, Astro, is an artist and was diagnosed with
cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be p ...
when he was young. Storm attended The
Los Angeles Film School
The Los Angeles Film School (informally LA Film School) is a for-profit college in Los Angeles, California offering associate and bachelor's degrees in majors relating to the entertainment industry. The school encompasses the Los Angeles Recordi ...
and graduated in 2001 with a focus in editing and cinematography.
He released his debut film ''Better Mus’ Come,'' in 2010, with a theatrical release in the U.S. in 2013.
In 2018, the film ''Sprinter'' was released, which he directed and co-wrote.
The film was distributed in the U.S. in 2019 and was released on Netflix in 2020.
In addition to his own filmmaking work, Saulter co-founded the New Caribbean Cinema collective, created in 2013 to showcase new Caribbean filmmakers.
In 2019, Saulter stated that he was working on an adaptation of ''
John Crow's Devil'', the first novel by Jamaican author
Marlon James.
Style and reception
Saulter's work focuses on Jamaican stories.
He is often a director for his films in addition to a writer.
Variety magazine
''Variety'' is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added ''Daily Variety'', based ...
writer Courtney Howard described his film ''Sprinter'' as intricate and character-driven, stating that the film has a "pulsating energy".
His film ''“Sprinter”'' won several awards, including Best Director, Audience Award, and the Grand Jury Prize from the
American Black Film Festival
The American Black Film Festival (originally called the Acalpulco Black Film Festival) is an independent film festival that focuses primarily on black film—works by Black members of the film industry. It is held to recognize achievements of fil ...
, the New Visions Award from the
Bahamas International Film Festival
The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) is a non-profit film festival held in the Bahamas. Open to both locals and international visitors, the festival was founded by Leslie Vanderpool in 2004.
BIFF also hosts a youth film workshop that a ...
, and Jury Prize from
Pan African Film Festival Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts a film festival and an a ...
.
Saulter's photographs and films have been shown at various art exhibitions, including at the
Jamaica Biennial
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispani ...
(2014 and 2017) and
Art Basel
Art Basel is a for-profit, privately owned and managed, international art fair staged annually in Basel, Switzerland; Miami Beach; Hong Kong and from 2022, Paris. Art Basel works in collaboration with the host city's local institutions to help ...
.
Selected work
Music videos
* "Shaka Zulu Pickney",
Tarrus Riley
Omar "Tarrus" Riley (born April 26, 1979, Bronx, New York, United States) is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and member of the Rastafari movement.Kenner, Rob (2009)Reggae Singer With a Legacy, a Following and a Mission. ''New York Times''. 21 ...
's 2010 song - director
* "Who Knows",
Protoje
Oje Ken Ollivierre (born 14 June 1981), popularly known as Protoje, is a contemporary reggae singer and songwriter from Jamaica. His mother is Jamaican singer Lorna Bennett, best known for her 1972 rendition of "Breakfast in Bed".Johnson, Ric ...
featuring
Chronixx
Jamar Rolando McNaughton (born 10 October 1992), popularly known as Chronixx, is a Jamaican reggae artist. His stage name replaced the name "Little Chronicle" which he was given because of his father, the singer "Chronicle".Jackson, Kevin (2014) ...
(2014) - director
* "Peter Pan",
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member ...
(2018) - director
* "Skankin’ Sweet", Chronixx (2018) - director
* "Dynamite",
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques OD (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican rapper and singer who is regarded as one of dancehall's most prolific artists.
Paul's singles " Get Busy" and "Temperature" topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the ...
featuring
Sia
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
(2021) - director
Films
* Better Mus’ Come (2010) - director, co-screenwriter
* Sprinter (2018) - director, writer
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saulter, Storm
1983 births
Living people
Los Angeles Film School alumni
Jamaican film directors