Rel J. Dowdell is an American screenwriter, film director, film producer, and English/film studies/screenwriting educator. Born and raised in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, he received his
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in English with
magna cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...
honors from
Fisk University and a master's degree in film and screenwriting with highest distinction from
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
. He is also a full-time university professor of English and Film Studies and is a film historian.
Dowdell's first feature film, ''
Train Ride
A train ride or miniature train consists of Rail transport modelling, miniature trains capable of carrying people. Some are considered amusement rides and some are located in amusement parks and municipal parks. Backyard railroads and ridable mi ...
'', received substantial critical acclaim. Produced with independent financing, the film was acquired and distributed by Sony Pictures in 2005 and was a tremendous financial success. ''Train Ride'' was ranked as one of the best American films that year as cited by veteran film critic
Gerald Peary Gerald Peary (born October 30, 1944) is an American film critic, filmmaker, editor of the University Press of Mississippi, and a former curator of the Harvard Film Archive.
Early life and education
Peary graduated from Rider University in 1964, w ...
of
''The Boston Phoenix''. The film also garnered high praise in film historian and writer Irv Slifkin's best-selling book, ''Filmadelphia: A Celebration of a City's Movies.'' ''Train Ride'' also won the honor of "Best Feature" at the American Theatre of Harlem
Film festival
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...
in 2005. In addition, the film featured the last performance of acclaimed veteran actress
Esther Rolle
Esther Elizabeth Rolle (November 8, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was an American actress. She is best known for her role as Florida Evans, on the CBS television sitcom '' Maude,'' for two seasons (1972–1974), and its spin-off series ''Go ...
. The film also starred
Wood Harris
Sherwin David "Wood" Harris (born October 17, 1969) is an American actor. He has portrayed the drug kingpin Avon Barksdale on the HBO crime drama ''The Wire'', cocaine dealer Ace in '' Paid in Full'' and high school football player Julius Camp ...
,
Russell Hornsby
Russell Hornsby (born May 15, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Edward "Eddie" Sutton on ABC Family's '' Lincoln Heights'', as Luke on the HBO drama ''In Treatment'', as Detective Hank Griffin on the NBC series '' Grimm'', ...
, Nicole Prescott, and the late, celebrated hip-hop artist
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
.
Veteran film critic Gerald Peary of The Boston Phoenix compared Dowdell to
John Singleton
John Daniel Singleton (January 6, 1968 April 28, 2019) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. He made his feature film debut writing and directing '' Boyz n the Hood'' (1991), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for ...
and
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
in the way that his filmmaking blends urban storytelling and suspense to tackle relevant and universal social issues that are intimately intertwined with a powerful moral message.
Dowdell's next feature film effort as writer and director was a drama entitled ''
Changing the Game'', which was shot in Philadelphia in the summer of 2010 and theatrically released in May 2012. The film stars Sean Riggs,
Irma P. Hall
Irma Dolores Player Hall (born June 3, 1935) is an American actress who has appeared in films and television shows since the early 1970s. Hall often played matriarchal figures in films including '' A Family Thing'', '' The Ladykillers'' and ''Soul ...
,
Dennis L.A. White
Dennis L. A. White is an American actor noted for portraying Damion "D-Roc" Butler in the Notorious B.I.G. biopic entitled Notorious (2009 film), ''Notorious''.
Early life
White was born and raised in Southern California in 1973,to a Grammy nomi ...
, Brandon Ruckdashel, and Mari White. There were special appearances by the late, acclaimed actress
Suzzanne Douglas
Suzzanne Douglas (April 12, 1957 – July 6, 2021) was an American actress. She was best known for her role as matriarch Geraldine "Jerri" Peterson on The WB sitcom ''The Parent 'Hood'', starring Robert Townsend, which originally ran from 1995 ...
, noted hip hop artist
Sticky Fingaz, and
Tony Todd
Tony Todd (born December 4, 1954) is an American actor who made his debut as Sgt. Warren in the film ''Platoon'' (1986), and portrayed Kurn in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1990–1991) and '' Star Trek: Deep Space N ...
. The film was cited by FilmFresh.com as one of the top three African-American films of 2012.
Dowdell's third feature film effort is a feature-length documentary entitled, ''
Where's Daddy?'', which was shot in Philadelphia in the winter of 2017 and was released in February 2018. The film examines perspectives on the child support system and the specific effect and consequences to African-American families, with emphasis on the experience of fathers as participants in the system. Some of the subjects in the film include hip hop artist
Freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
and former Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl wide receiver
Fred Barnett
Fred “Arkansas” Lee Barnett (born June 17, 1966 in Gunnison, Mississippi) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. He p ...
. The film has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
[http://www.philly.com/philly/living/child-support-debt-incarceration-fathers-philly-wheres-daddy-20171027 ]
References
External links
''Changing the Game'' review by Kam Williams*
*
ttp://www.philly.com/philly/living/child-support-debt-incarceration-fathers-philly-wheres-daddy-20171027/ ''Where's Daddy?'' story by Samantha Melamed of The Philadelphia Inquirer''Where's Daddy?'' story by Kimberly C. Roberts of The Philadelphia Tribune'' Blackfilm.com coverage of release of trailer for "Where's Daddy?"'' Shadow and Act's coverage of release of trailer for "Where's Daddy?''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowdell, Rel
Living people
American male screenwriters
American film directors
Film producers from Pennsylvania
Central High School (Philadelphia) alumni
Fisk University alumni
Boston University College of Communication alumni
Writers from Philadelphia
Year of birth missing (living people)
Screenwriters from Pennsylvania