The father of two toddlers and husband of one adult, Phill Branch loves writing and telling stories; when he’s not completely exhausted. He started in L.A. with his own storytelling show and has since gone on to perform in shows for Story District, Perfect Liars Club and is a Moth GrandSlam Champion. He is the 2019 recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Solo Performance Artist Award. A graduate of the American Film Institute, Branch recently directed Searching for Shaniqua; his documentary about the impact names have on our lives. The film won the HBO Best Documentary award at the 2016 Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival. A writing, film and media scholar, Branch has served as a professor at his alma mater Hampton University and at Howard University. He is currently at Goucher College in Communication and Media Studies, focusing on race and ethnicity in film and media. He recently won an Emmy for the documentary Hampton University: One of the Wonders of the World. Give him a shout @phillbranch on IG/Twitter and at phillbranch.com.