Known as "Boi Wonda" , Kirk Shannon-Butts graduated from Chapman University's Cecil B. DeMille's School of Film and Television, in the class of 2000 and has received his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Film and Television. While studying, he was able to assist celebrities: Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle), actor, Samuel L. Jackson, and actress, Anna Maria Horsford (Television's Amen, and such movies as Nutty Professor II) during different projects.

This talented brother is about to blow up as he's completed various short films such as "Beneath the Surface", and, my favorite, "Complete Abandon". In the next few weeks, "Blueprint", his first feature will premiere. I thought that I had better interview this "Boi Wonda" genius before Hollywood beckons.

The Interview :

John: How old are you?

Kirk: That I will never tell the year. (Laugh) I will give you my birthday.

John: Ok, the year you were born. (Laugh) I mean the date?

Kirk: September 1 and I accept gifts. (Both of us laugh)

John: And where were you born?

Kirk: Baltimore, Maryland.

John: How did you become interested in film making?

Kirk: I saw a remarkable film called, "My Beautiful Laundrette" with Daniel Day Lewis, who falls in love with a Pakistani, gorgeous guy in London. Johnny (Daniel Day Lewis) is a "punker" boy, and Omar (Gordon Warnecke) is this beautiful brown skin guy, he's the son of a former aristocrat, they becomes immigrants and are basically poor, whereas in their own country they were wealthy. Johnny is with a group of right- wing extremist who are shouting racist slogans at Omar. Johnny and Omar recognize each other from school and this is when the relationship resumes.

John: And your inspiration, where does that come from?

Kirk: The lack of images that show me people who look like me and….

John: When you say, "people like me", do you mean gay or Afro American or?

Kirk: I mean gay, urban, American black, intelligent, worldly, basic cool people who have interest in culture and seeing other images, other than the repeated over saturated Hollywood, bland, boring (movies) things that that put up there (the movie screen)…..I'm also inspired by fashion photography in terms of the look and style and sexuality of it, but at the same, again, those images, usually, don't include black man.

John: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Kirk: I'm willing to go where my work and my ideas take me in terms of my films. I set out to make films for people who look like me. Through my work, its allowed me to go many different places. As I'm talking to you, there's been many magazines and newspapers and press and stuff, people responses have allowed me to be interviewed and go in places that I never even though about, so in 10 years I hope to go as far as those contacts will allowed me to go, whether that's Hollywood, or more mainstream, who knows. But my goal would be to have had Hollywood buy into this new independence, you know people are calling it this new black avant-guard thing, I hope it becomes more financial viable rather than commercial. I hope the integrity of the work continues and you know there will be other people who will come along who have different ideas than I do, and its already happening, there are already making Noah's Arc, our actor from my movie is up for a leading supporting role. Damian is up for a role, he's in the cast for "B'Boy Blues", and there's "Blueprint" , so there's already three films about being black, gay men or boys. Who knows how many people, out there, like me, who are independent . Some movies are becoming more commercial like "Noah's Arc., its like Sex In The City.

John:How many films have you do?

Kirk: This is my first feature, this is my debut, however short films, (I have) four major one's, the first important one was "Complete Abandon" that one took me to the Can., I went to the Kennedy Center- (it was ) presented there, my family came from Baltimore. Another film was "Beneath the Surface".

(For those of you who are interested in his other short-films, you may visit his website: http://www.boiwondaphilmz.com/

John: So "Blueprint" is your first long length film, feature?

Kirk: Yes, my first feature.

John: I saw "Complete Abandon".

Kirk: (Surprised) Yeah, you did, where?

John: On one of your sites.

Kirk: ok.

John: Is ("Complete Abandon") it from a personal experience?

Kirk: No, its not, all of my work has some overtone of my some experiences of what I had, then I just create a scenario.

John: You live in NY right?

Kirk: Yes, I live in Harlem.

John: I'm down in Charlotte, NC.

Kirk: "Blueprint" will be showing down at Duke University in a couple of weeks.

John: I will try to get there to see it. (continuing) You are a writer, director, producer and set designer, also fashion assistant/fashion market editor. What do you do to relax, to have fun?

Kirk: Work is relaxing for me. (laugh) I enjoy, I watch a lot of films when I'm not making a film, I enjoy art, going to galleries looking at art. I like reading non-fiction stuff, I use to be a huge fan of magazines, I'd go to newsstands, to read magazines but working at a magazine (company), also a lot of magazines have become a little more tabloid, I no longer find them interesting, no one's doing anything fresh, new, unless it's a magazine from Poland or something, they are the only one's doing something fresh, fashion forward, everything else is based on who has advertising dollars, and what's on the run way of some designer that's already known.

John: As a director, do you bring your experience as a Black American to the table or?

Kirk: Or what?

John: Or, does it depend on the property, do you take it from there?

Kirk: I think, for me, I am composed of all theses things, so I don't separate it, I'm not some super hero.

John: But you wonder boy. (laugh)

Kirk: I am "boi wonda". (laugh), I think that's why people relate to "Blueprint" the way they have, because I've allowed myself to make a film that's true, from who I am and my experiences and how I see the world, and how I operate in the world and how I view the world, all those types of things, at the same time as an intelligent, educated person, I'm able to come to Glamour each day. The target market for Glamour magazine would be a woman who's 18 to 35, she thinks this and did that, I'm not that woman, but I can work here and put the magazine together, be a part of the decision making and get the job done, things that are not mine, I'm flexible. I'm currently working with James L Hardy, "B Boy Blues", (Kirk is also employed at Glamour magazine)

John: Right.

Kirk: I'm going to be working with him, I'm going to direct his movie. This is the first time that I'll be doing this, this is a script I did not write.
The project doesn't have to be mine. This is why I went to film school.

John: You went to school in California, what made you come back to NYC?

Kirk: I worked at this publicist there, I worked at this public relations firm. I was calling Halle Berry's agent etc., but it wasn't what I wanted. I' m not a Hollywood person. I've never seen E.T., not that it's good or bad, it was just something that didn't interest me.

John: "Complete Abandon", I saw this and I wanted more. Will you make this into a long feature, film?

Kirk: No.

John: No? I wondered what happened between the main character and the police officer. Like does he want a date, or wants to get to know him.

Kirk: That was the whole point to suck you in. Did you see the complete film?
(I explained what I saw, which wasn't the complete film, it was a clip. Kirk said that he would mail me a complete copy, I can't wait!!)

John: I thought that the film was excellent!

Kirk: Thank you.

John: Do you have a my "my space" account?

Kirk: Yes, it's - www.myspace/blueprintthemovie

John: What don't you enjoy about making movies?

Kirk: Raising the money, financing is the hardest part. But I really enjoy everything.

John: You being the writer, producer, director, and set-designer, what do you feel that hasn't been seen on film?

Kirk: I would like to see films on Native American people, but they would have to be directed, and the cast would have to be Native America people.

John: What's your favorite word? (laughing) I'm doing a Barbara Walters on you.

Kirk: (laughing) That's a good question. I would think, "Thanks." (his favorite word.)

John: What word do you hate? (continued laughing)

Kirk: (laughing, the word), "No."

John: Now to your fans, of which, I'm one, are you available, are you dating, or are you involved?

Kirk: I do date, but no I'm not dating anyone seriously. No, no, no sleepovers. I'm single.

John: You are from Baltimore. What have you learned living in New York City?

Kirk: (laughing) Oh, my goodness. You would need another tape for that! New Yorkers are not rude, its just a busy place, it's a fast pace city. It's a small island, with people from all over the world. So many different cultures, you could meet many different people from a lot of different places, it's a melting pot.

John: Your film, "Complete Abandon" was shown in Jamaica, West Indies. Jamaica is known to not welcome homosexuality with open arms. What was that experience like?

Kirk: A friend of mine was the producer of "Talk Soup" (a television, gossip, magazine show) told Sheryl Lee Ralph who was hosting the show at the Film Festival in Jamaica, she was interested, so I sent her a copy. I didn't attend the screening. The reaction in Jamaica it was more of a discovery piece than a gay film. (We couldn't remember Ms. Ralph's name from "Dreamsgirls" and the stepmother on Moseha at the time of the interview)

John: You are currently working on "Pain Session", the relationship between a Muslim guy and an Afro American guy, post September 11th. Are the two characters lovers, gay or just friends?

Kirk: They were friends in a relationship in college before 9/11. Then they met on the subway platform, waiting for a train on 9/13.

John: I see that you've gone to Russia. Did you see any black Russians? I've always wanted to ask that.

Kirk: You know what I love. I don't know what you mean black, but I saw Africans, yes. When I was in Japan, I saw Africans, in Tokyo, there was an African store in Tokyo, I love that! The black American's, all over the world, everywhere I've gone has been favorable, we are always presented in a celebrity way, even if they don't know you. Like in Russian, I tried to see everywhere, a friend of mine, who's not black, said to me, "do you see all those people looking at you?" I didn't have time to notice that I was being stared at.

John: What actress would you like to work with? (Dead or Alive)

Kirk: Bette Davis.

John: I love Bette Davis.

Kirk: Yeah, some of these young actors and some of the older ones could learn something from her.

John: And actor?

Kirk:: I like the actors that I work with in my films. They bring someone good, raw to the performance. I like being a part the actors growth, like with new actors, Blake Young-Fountain and Damion Lee, both who are starring in "Bluepoint."

John: The music score for your "Bluepoint", who's doing it?

Kirk: I would like a natural sound of New York City, there's always noise, people talking, kid shouting, car horns. Short-Rock, a gay urban rapper out of Brooklyn, may do some music for "Blueprint.", I think we are going to work with him.

John: I imagine that you study people since you are a director and in the fashion world. What surprises you about most people?

Kirk: (laugh) The lack of self, style.

John: Thank you for the interview.

Kirk: And thank you, I enjoyed it

John: The same here. Are you still at work?

Kirk: Yes.

Wow, can you imagine Mr. Shannon-Butts works around the clock and loves it! He has a passion for the work he's doing. He wants to inspire people, to make you think and have a conversation. He mentioned that he likes to be re-charged, when he sees a movie and wants anyone that sees his films to leave feeling that same way. I have a feeling that all that views his films will be more than re-charged, he should be called "Boi-Wonda the genius."

In talking with Kirk, we didn't talk much about "Bluepoint", I was so interested in the character of the man, what his visions are, how he came to be who he is. I didn't realize that we really didn't touch on the story line of "Bluepoint."

According to Kirk's website: "BLUEPRINT"
Description from Kirk's website and Brooklyn of Academy of Music: Keith and Nathan, who are opposites, worlds collide to the rhythm and chaos of NYC. do indeed attract for two New York African-American college students in this unpredictable, accomplished gay romance. After meeting at a Harlem coffeehouse over a conversation about hip-hop's merits (or lack thereof), straight-laced Los Angeles transplant Keith and outgoing, street-smart urbanite Nathan set out on an amorous motorcycle road trip into the woods. With fresh, intelligent storytelling and skillfully drawn young African-American characters, Blueprint lays out a type of queer relationship that's rarely depicted in film.

I promise you, dear reader, when "Bluepoint" arrives at Duke University, I will definitely check it out and review it for you, however, you should check it out as well. We must support each other in a positive way. The world is witnessing the awakening of Kirk Shannon-Butts. His time has come.

And, he's such a nice guy, so down to earth and I'm looking forward to chatting with him again, on his future projects.

Stay tuned, more to come. You read it first at GBMNews.com