Mason Richards


Mason Richards is a Guyanese-American filmmaker and professor. He is known for his work in narrative film, community-based media production and arts education.

Early life and education

Richards was born in Guyana, South America, and emigrated to Brooklyn, New York, with his family at the age of seven. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Human & Organizational Development and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Vanderbilt University. He earned his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts, graduating magna cum laude.

Career in film

Richards’ thesis film, The Seawall, shot on location in Guyana, was selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival, the Havana International Film Festival. He has worked at CBS News as a broadcast associate and in sales and marketing at Paramount Pictures. As of 2023, he was in pre-production for the feature-length version of The Seawall.
He co-founded The A.M. Creative Agency, a production house based in Los Angeles with a focus on inclusive storytelling. Richards has curated and moderated industry panels, including Netflix First Look events and film discussions at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Academic career

Richards serves as adjunct faculty at Emerson College Los Angeles where he teaches filmmaking, directing, and screenwriting. He has also held seasonal appointments as a Filmmaker-in-Residence at Ithaca College.
He led a screenwriting masterclass Trinidad.

Community engagement

Richards has been involved in community outreach and arts education programs, collaborating with organizations including BAFTA-LA, Actors4Autism, and The Young Storytellers Foundation to provide media production workshops for underrepresented communities.

Filmography

  • The Seawall – Writer/Director
  • ''Hold Love Strong''