Gian Smith is a New Orleans-based, multidisciplinary artist and community organizer.

In Spring 2011 Gian was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition following a successful run of several commercials featuring his original poetry on HBO’s “Treme.” Smith has continued his spoken word through his open mic “Pass It On” going into it’s 14th year and has worked on several pieces commissioned by the NBA New Orleans Pelicans including his New Orleans Black History poem “For the Culture.”

Smith’s film franchise “The Adulterer” has screened in almost 20 film festivals around the country winning a Remi award at Worldfest Houston 49th annual festival and “Best Narrative Short” at the Festival of Cinema NYC 2018. The Gene Siskel Institute in Chicago, by way of the Black Harvest festival, sponsored Smith’s next work through a generous grant, and ultimately a nomination for the Ellen Sandor award, the festival’s top prize, for his original short “love tap.” Gian’s 2021 film “Tucker’s War” is making its festival run currently and has already picked up a best film winner at the Black arts and Film Festival in Tampa.

Currently, Smith is serving as festival director for the annual Black Film Festival of New Orleans, which he founded in 2018.

While in the Woods, he divided his residency into two parts. The first week was focused on the completion and refinement script for his short film “The Capitalist.” The second part was preparation for the Black Film Festival of New Orleans 2023.