How to Turn a Good Kid Into “Gorilla”

This piece was created in paid partnership with Endless Victories.

In the vast world of filmmaking, a journey unfolds, and at its heart is Kareem “Gorilla” Davis. Over the past few years, his path as a director has been a series of steps. Amid the challenges that many face and the skeptics in the shadows, Davis responds not with defiance but with a quiet determination to work a bit harder.

Reflecting on his modest beginnings, Davis remembers a Larry Moss class at age 21, where the art of directing first captured his heart. It wasn’t an easy journey for this aspiring director, shaped by a desire to take charge after a stint at a record label. His cinematic curiosity led him to Roger Deakins, whose influence on Davis’ cinematography remains steadfast.

Starting as a self-taught filmmaker in Atlanta, Davis learned the ropes of filmmaking through trial and error. Establishing his first film studio in 2017, he began a journey of explorative moviemaking on a shoestring budget. Positive feedback from industry connections propelled him to Los Angeles in 2019, where he focused on personal growth as a director and nurtured his actors as a talent manager.

Accepted into the Sundance Institute’s directors and screenwriters lab, Davis found a space to refine his skills alongside industry leaders. Even then, he didn’t forget to reconnect his actors with the inspiring Larry Moss. Now on the West Coast, Davis quietly refines his independent filmmaking method on a grander scale, with a more structured team and improved production values. In the midst of his accomplishments, he quietly nurtures his businesses — Imperium Features and PATH Management.

As the spotlight gently falls on Davis, he shares his next steps with a subtle excitement. Thrillers like Broken Things, action dramas like The Protected and a unique superhero twist in The First Classic are in the works.

Davis, ever humble, looks forward to unveiling his creations to a broader audience. He hopes that his work will inspire the next generation of Black filmmakers by showing them something different. He quietly hopes for collaborations with major studios and the opportunity to make his theatrical film debut.

Davis is currently in pre-production for his upcoming action thriller Broken Things. The film follows a ruthless businessman whose son accidentally hires a hitman to teach his father to be a better man.

In this unfolding narrative, Davis remains grounded, appreciating the journey with a humility that echoes in the art he creates.