Education
- Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television Screenwriting, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA, July 2020.
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production, The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC, May 2000.
Teaching Experience
- Filmmaking Instructor, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Birmingham, AL, July 2022 – May 2023.
- Visiting Instructor, Department of Communication & Art, Wingate University, Wingate, NC, January 2021 – August 2021.
- Continuing Education Instructor (part-time), The University Of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, March 2010 – June 2015.
Biography
Damian K. Lahey is an award-winning screenwriter, independent filmmaker and educator. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting and received his BFA in Film Production at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts film school. He has taught at The Alabama School of Fine Arts, The University of North Florida and Wingate University.
Over the past two decades, his film projects have won more than 20 awards at over 90 film festivals including SXSW, Slamdance, Raindance, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Dances with Films, Cinequest, Cucalorus, Indie Memphis, RiverRun International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Cork International Film Festival etc.
Through the years, Lahey has developed and/or produced projects with David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Halloween), Lucas Foster (Man on Fire, Morbius, Mr. and Mrs. Smith), Craig Zobel (Mare of Easttown, The Penguin), Shawn Harwell (The Campaign, Eastbound and Down, Red Oaks), Jane Spencer (The 9th Cloud, Little Noises), Sean Ellis (Metro Manilla, Anthropoid), Dardano Sacchetti (Demons, The Beyond, House by the Cemetery), Jill Killington (Stephen King’s The Stand, All We Had), and many others.
He recently wrote and produced Never Call a Dragon by Its Name, a PSA for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline featuring stars from the hit Netflix series Outer Banks, as well as The Girl from the Burning House, an animated PSA for the National Child Abuse Hotline. His latest project, Pillars of Lost Futures, shot and produced in Tunisia, is in post-production. His previous independent film, the critically acclaimed Simple Like Silver, was released by Severin Films last summer. He is currently developing a UNICEF spot and his next independent feature, Karachi Noir, in conjunction with Habib University.
As a writer, director, and producer, Lahey demonstrates versatility across various formats, leveraging his mastery of both Hollywood and independent filmmaking processes. He excels in script development, budgeting, scheduling, and directing, utilizing cutting-edge technologies to bring his creative vision to life. Coupled with his motivational speaking expertise, Lahey is a multifaceted talent whose contributions to education and production continue to make an impact on both the academic and cinematic worlds.
Damian K. Lahey lives and breathes cinema, and we are excited to bring his vast experience, passion for filmmaking, and commitment to excellence here to Habib University.
