SPOTLIGHT
“I wanted to inspire kids like me…to show them that anything is possible”
Xander Wynn, CEO XWynn Films
To the little kid from a traumatic background with little to no guidance. The kid who was suspended from school on a weekly basis. The kid who didn’t know what he wanted out of life. The kid who spent countless nights sleeping in hospital rooms. The kid who cried big tears wondering where his father went. The kid who longed for love and attention. The kid who just wanted to be happy. The kid who had no male figure growing up. The kid who’s house got broken into while home alone. The kid who saw shootings from his balcony. The kid who just wanted to be great.
Spoiler alert, the kid is all grown up now. That kid GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. That kid will be the FIRST to go to COLLEGE. That kid started a business at 16. That kid is genuinely happy. That kid is me, Xander Dean Wynn.
Xander Wynn – A Profile
Attended Walnut Hills High School
Started at Fourthwall in 2015
Paid Apprentice Fourthwall, 2019
Started XWynn Films in 2019
Certificate in Digital Media Butler Tech 2022
Graduated Coleraine High School 2022
Started at Morgan State University in 2022 studying Digital Media
– Outstanding Achievement Award City of Cincinnati, 2016
– Winner Young Entrepreneurs of Color pitch competition 2022
– Your Path Scholarship Winner 2022
– Straight A Award Coleraine High School
– Student of the Year Digital Media Butler Tech
Awards:
– “Frere”, Honorable Mention, 2016 White House Youth Film Festival
– “Frere”, Winner 2016 Golden Lion Film Festival
– “Love Tuition” Official Selection 2018 Cindependent Film Festival
A Word From Xander Wynn
Play VideoSPOTLIGHT
Away Yet Awake-An Immigrant Experience
“I wanted to make a film that told the stories of our respective journeys as refugees”
Joyeuse Muhorakeye, Director and Rwandan Refugee
Two of the crew members, Joyeuse Muhorakeye and Enock Sadiki, are both refugees, from Rwanda and Uganda respectively. During ideation sessions they had suggested exploring the topic of “the immigrant experience”.
The writers in the crew, Owen Cummings and Sydney Robinson, suggested motion poetry as a visual treatment, which then led to a “composite poem”, written by several other refugee poets who were recruited into the project.
Once the treatment and production plan were developed, the 2-day production got underway, using one of Fourthwall’s 4K Blackmagic cameras.
To date, the film has won numerous festival awards. It has also been shown in numerous communities around the city as part of the Aiken High School refugee welcome campaign.
The crew for Away Yet Awake was hired through the City of Cincinnati Youth to Work program, co-sponsored by Artworks and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission.
Away Yet Awake – An Immigrant Experience
Crew
Director: Joyeuse Muhorakeye
Producer: Enock Sadiki
Writers: Owen Cummings, Sydney Robinson
DP: Trey Small
Lighting: Lynae Spruance
Assistant Director: Max Matarazzo
Assistant Producer: D’Airion McCullough
Audio: Lilian Chesak
Camera: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K
Location: Artsville
Shoot Duration: 2 Days
Awards:
-Audience Choice Award 2021 OINK Film Festival
-Official Selection 2022 Athens Film + Video Festival
-Honorable Mention 2022 Atlanta High School Film Festival
-Official Selection, 2022 OTR International Film Festival
-Best Spoken Word Performance 2022 1:11 High School Film Festival
-Official Selection 2022 All American High School Film Festival
-Audience Choice Award 2022 Golden Lion High School Film Festival
-Most Inspirational Film 2022 Golden Lion High School Film Festival
Behind The Scenes
Play VideoScreening at the OTR International Film Festival.
Play VideoSPOTLIGHT
Xander Dean Wynn-In My Words.
“I wanted to inspire kids like me…to show them that anything is possible”
Xander Wynn, CEO XWynn Films
To the little kid from a traumatic background with little to no guidance. The kid who was suspended from school on a weekly basis. The kid who didn’t know what he wanted out of life. The kid who spent countless nights sleeping in hospital rooms. The kid who cried big tears wondering where his father went. The kid who longed for love and attention. The kid who just wanted to be happy. The kid who had no male figure growing up. The kid who’s house got broken into while home alone. The kid who saw shootings from his balcony. The kid who just wanted to be great.
Spoiler alert, the kid is all grown up now. That kid GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. That kid will be the FIRST to go to COLLEGE. That kid started a business at 16. That kid is genuinely happy. That kid is me, Xander Dean Wynn.
Xander Wynn – A Profile
Attended Walnut Hills High School
Started at Fourthwall in 2015
Paid Apprentice Fourthwall, 2019
Started XWynn Films in 2019
Certificate in Digital Media Butler Tech 2022
Graduated Coleraine High School 2022
Started at Morgan State University in 2022 studying Digital Media
– Outstanding Achievement Award City of Cincinnati, 2016
– Winner Young Entrepreneurs of Color pitch competition 2022
– Your Path Scholarship Winner 2022
– Straight A Award Coleraine High School
– Student of the Year Digital Media Butler Tech
Awards:
– “Frere”, Honorable Mention, 2016 White House Youth Film Festival
– “Frere”, Winner 2016 Golden Lion Film Festival
– “Love Tuition” Official Selection 2018 Cindependent Film Festival
A Word From Xander Wynn
Play VideoSPOTLIGHT
Away Yet Awake-An Immigrant Experience
“I wanted to make a film that told the stories of our respective journeys as refugees”
Joyeuse Muhorakeye, Director and Rwandan Refugee
Two of the crew members, Joyeuse Muhorakeye and Enock Sadiki, are both refugees, from Rwanda and Uganda respectively. During ideation sessions they had suggested exploring the topic of “the immigrant experience”.
The writers in the crew, Owen Cummings and Sydney Robinson, suggested motion poetry as a visual treatment, which then led to a “composite poem”, written by several other refugee poets who were recruited into the project.
Once the treatment and production plan were developed, the 2-day production got underway, using one of Fourthwall’s 4K Blackmagic cameras.
To date, the film has won numerous festival awards. It has also been shown in numerous communities around the city as part of the Aiken High School refugee welcome campaign.
The crew for Away Yet Awake was hired through the City of Cincinnati Youth to Work program, co-sponsored by Artworks and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission.
Away Yet Awake – An Immigrant Experience
Crew
Director: Joyeuse Muhorakeye
Producer: Enock Sadiki
Writers: Owen Cummings, Sydney Robinson
DP: Trey Small
Lighting: Lynae Spruance
Assistant Director: Max Matarazzo
Assistant Producer: D’Airion McCullough
Audio: Lilian Chesak
Camera: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K
Location: Artsville
Shoot Duration: 2 Days
Awards:
-Audience Choice Award 2021 OINK Film Festival
-Official Selection 2022 Athens Film + Video Festival
-Honorable Mention 2022 Atlanta High School Film Festival
-Official Selection, 2022 OTR International Film Festival
-Best Spoken Word Performance 2022 1:11 High School Film Festival
-Official Selection 2022 All American High School Film Festival
-Audience Choice Award 2022 Golden Lion High School Film Festival
-Most Inspirational Film 2022 Golden Lion High School Film Festival
Behind The Scenes
Play Video