About
Emmy nominee and award-winning filmmaker Kiyoka "Kex" Rhodes is a writer, producer, and director of films, commercials, and branded content for multi-screen platforms. A graduate of American University's School of Communication, she holds a Bachelor's Degree in Film & Media Arts with a minor in Graphic Design.
Her television producing and directing credits have been with networks such as The CW Network (DCW50), Comcast, BBC Studios, and online with 60 Second Docs. In 2019, Rhodes received a Capital Emmy nomination for a suicide/substance abuse prevention PSA campaign titled "BTheOne". Notable talents such as Denzel Washington, Mandy Moore, Don Cheadle, Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga and more have also been featured in her work.
In addition, Rhodes has a background in public relations. At the American Bar Association, she issued press releases, produced videos, and photographed important personnel at ABA events such as a Supreme Court Justice and members of congress at the United States Capitol.
Rhodes is a passionate filmmaker and storyteller with a portfolio spanning comedy, drama, and documentary genres. Her work includes the comedy short "Donut Give Up!"—a 2021 Official Selection at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Monthly Screenings, DC Black Film Festival, and Awesome Con. Her dramatic short "Xosphere" won at the 2017 Rosebud Film Festival, and "Tunnel Vision," a short on domestic violence awareness, concluded its festival run at the 2017 Global Impact Film Festival. Her screenplay for upcoming short film "Desolate Dreams," focusing on Japanese American incarceration and Black and Asian allyship, was a semi-finalist in the 2022-2023 Cinequest Screenwriting Competition. Additionally, her short documentary "Station 8" was selected for the 2023 DC Shorts Film Festival and Richmond International Film Festival. In September 2023, Rhodes was recognized as Filmmaker of the Month by DC’s Office of Cable, Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME).
As the Founder and Creative Director of Kex Studios, an award-winning production company, she has earned several Tellys and a Davey Award for directing and has completed Sundance Collab’s Directing Actors Course. Currently developing her debut feature film and fundraising for her short, “Desolate Dreams”, Rhodes aims to continue using the art of film to tell stories with purpose and impact. #keepitmoving
Memberships & Affiliations:
National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Chesapeake Bay Chapter)
ARRAY Crew/Impact
Black Film Allegiance
Asian Film Network
