Tayler Montague ’19

Tayler Montague ’19 (communications) is a filmmaker, writer, curator, and native New Yorker who seeks to tell stories that place Black people front and center, building upon the legacy of Black storytelling she grew up with.

She released her debut short film, In Sudden Darkness, during the pandemic to positive reviews on the festival circuit. Read more about the film on refinery29.com.

Vanity Fair included her in On the Rise: 5 Black Indie Directors Who Haven’t Let the Pandemic Stop Them and Filmmaker Magazine named her to their list of 25 New Faces of Independent Film for 2020.

Her foray into the film industry began with her background in cultural criticism and programming. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Film Comment, The Fader, and Reverse Shot.

She has cut her teeth as a curator, programming at various institutions such as BAM & Alamo Drafthouse. In the interim, she also worked in the curatorial departments at many of the city’s beloved cultural centers such as MoMA, The Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In Sudden Darkness is Montague’s debut film, after years of dreaming about the opportunity to step behind the camera, it is now a reality.

The film has since played at festivals such as BlackStar Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, 58th New York Film Festival, AFI Fest, Nashville Film Festival (Nominee Grand Jury Prize Best Narrative short), Indie Memphis Film Festival (Nominee Best Narrative Short), New Orleans Film Festival (Jury Award Best Narrative Short), Nicho 54 (Nicho Novembro) + continuing its journey.

It’s part of her mission to honor Black figures, showcase Black love, and build community through shared viewing experiences.

Montague is currently working on her pilot and is interested in making a foray into television directing.