About the Director/Producer:
Bryant Monteilh grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and fondly remembers his early years in 'The Valley of the Sun'. He spent a lot of time with his grandmother, Helen K. Mason, shadowing her as she worked to establish The Black Theatre Troupe. He too grew up performing and working behind the scenes at the theatre.
Bryant and his mother, Carole E. Thompson-Mason, moved to New Orleans when he was 15 years old. He transferred from Camelback High School in Phoenix, Arizona to John F. Kennedy in New Orleans, Louisiana. His classmates would often laugh at the name Camelback...joking & saying..."Where is that...in the Desert?" "Did ya'll have water there?"
Soon after graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in New Orleans, he attended Laney College in Oakland, California, majoring in Media studies and playing football for the Laney Eagles. He transferred to The University of California, Berkeley and majored in Mass Communications and International Relations. During his junior year at UC Berkeley, Bryant did a semester abroad in London, attending The Polytechnic of Central London. However, his time there was cut short when he was called to active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps to serve during Operation Desert Storm.
After graduating from UC Berkeley, Bryant worked in his own business specializing in home improvement services for a few years. Yet his love for the media drew him back to the field where he was destined to be. One of his first opportunities came when he worked as a volunteer radio DJ for WUMR-FM (a Jazz station on the campus of The University of Memphis). He soon was hired for a paid position as a Production Assistant at ABC 24-TV (WPTY) in Memphis. After working nearly three months in Production as an overnight Assignment Editor/Photojournalist, he attended an NABJ (National Association of Black Journalist) conference and was recruited by The New York Times Broadcast Group for their Management Training program. The company first assigned him to Norfolk, Virginia, where he began working at WTKR-TV assisting in many capacities in the newsroom, working as an Assignment Editor & Associate Producer. After about a year in Norfolk, the company transferred him first to their station in Huntsville, Alabama (WHNT-TV) and, later, to Moline, Illinois (WQAD-TV). It was in Moline, (towards the end of his training program) that Bryant began growing his skills as a reporter...he loved it and was hooked.
His first day at the station, while shadowing a veteran reporter, he had the impromptu opportunity to interview John Edwards who, at the time, was campaigning with John Kerry for the 2004 Presidential Election. The next week he had the privilege to interview the late Elizabeth Edwards which was a most memorable experience. Bryant soon landed in Chicago where he was hired as an Assignment Editor for CLTV (ChicagoLand TV).
Seeking to get back in the mix with Anchoring and Reporting, Bryant was hired by Michiana News Channel In Mishawaka, IN and worked as a Radio News Anchor/Reporter and was also the lead person to implement and launch the company's webcasting operation through his skills as a Photojournalist and Video Editor. During his time in Indiana he also Hosted a weekly talk show called Economic Outlook for the local PBS station (WNIT-TV). It was this experience that best prepared him in his desire to Host various forms of TV programing and Radio as well.
Most recently Bryant worked as a Radio News Anchor/Co-Host for Chicago's WVON 1690am. The highlight of his time with WVON and probably his career, came in the summer of 2011, when he was a part of an exclusive interview with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.
He has worked on a few documentary projects, his first being a short documentary on Civil Rights Leaders Dr.Joseph Lowery and Rev.Fred Shuttlesworth for Alabama A&M University. He also recently completed two engaging historical documentaries for The Holland Company in celebration of their 75 years of service and Martin Whalen Solution also hired him and his team to produce a short documentary film in celebration of their 75 years in business.
Bryant recently completed his Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree with an emphasis in Independent Film from Governors State University. This documentary project ("A Legacy in the Valley") started off as his Masters Thesis but has grown into something much bigger and enduring.
He lives in the Chicago area with his wife and 3 children.
