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Shayla has completed a shadow directing assignment with ABC/Disney - shadowing two directors on The Wonder Years. In 2021, she was tapped to direct a short project on behalf of the John Singleton embRACE Initiative in collaboration with the city of Los Angeles. The award-winning short was acquired by AMC ALLBLK and given a seven-figure budget to expand into a feature film. Shayla Racquel was the lead director of the premiere show for Keke Palmer's KeyTV Network and has since garnered over a million views. She is a 2020 and 2023 Seriesfest x Shondaland Women's Directing Mentorship Program finalist, the 2023 Recipient of the South Carolina Film Commission Indie Grant Award, the 2023 Finalist for the National Black Arts Horizon Award for Emerging Artists grant, and a 2023 Film Impact Georgia Finalist. Lastly, Shayla serves as the Executive Creative Director for Chosen Few Creative Agency and works as a director/producer in the commercial space. She has participated in the creation of global campaigns with clients such as American Cancer Society, Procter & Gamble, Design Essentials, Facebook Meta, and many more. 

Shayla Racquel bleeds Orange & Green, holding a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from the illustrious Florida A&M University. In 2018, she received her Master of Fine Arts in Film & Electronic Media from American University. Her felicific smile and appreciation for life brighten any room – you will always know it's her when she greets you with,

“Smiles are Sunshine for the Soul!”

For more information on Shayla Racquel’s directing style, click here. Shayla Racquel is open to inquiries regarding talent and/or literary agencies. Please contact her at info@shaylaracquel.com to set up a general meeting.

Shayla Racquel is an energetic, quintessential creative with a passion for storytelling birthed and honed by her southern roots. She is no stranger to overcoming odds - diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease at birth and a stroke at the mere age of 12, her battle with this illness brought her closer to the art of storytelling, which unlocked her love for filmmaking. 

Though Shayla considers herself genre-agnostic, as a director, Shayla gravitates towards genre-bending projects where she can offer comedic elements to stories with subtle yet significant messaging, real dramatic stakes, and heightened tension. She creates and gravitates toward stories featuring chaotic female characters with multifarious identities navigating a world where they are forced to choose just one. 

Shayla Racquel's work has been featured in over 40 film festivals and has received over 20 awards to date, including a Student Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - National Capital Chapter.  Her storytelling capabilities have been featured by the Washington Post, VIBE magazine, and a plethora of other notable outlets. She was recently highlighted as one of OkayPlayer's Eight Up-And-Coming Directors That Should Be On Your Radar. 

Shayla Racquel is the creator of the award-winning webseries Quarter Century, a dramedy series following a group of post-grads trying to figure out what it means to be “grown.” The series has two seasons under its belt – the first set in the eclectic city of Washington, DC and the second taking place in the heart of New York. The series has garnered over 250,000 views collectively between youtube and KweliTV streaming network.

In 2015, Shayla Racquel wrote, directed, and edited a short film titled Life’s Checklist, a story about two college sweethearts approaching their wedding days and having to decide if they are getting married for love or for the sheer reason that marriage is another one of life's goals to complete. The short film was an official selection in six film festivals and has won three awards, including Best Student Short Film.

In 2018, Shayla Racquel wrote and directed the short film Riverment - a historical narrative piece about a grandmother and granddaughter’s cross-generational approach to activism. The film shines light on intergenerational trauma while comparing and contrasting Black empowerment movements. After receiving an award from Sony Pictures in collaboration with American University, the project was acquired by Comcast Xfinity, KweliTV streaming platform, Magic Johnson's cable network channel ASPiRE TV, REVOLT TV, and FOX streaming platform Tubi. Vivica Fox also interviewed Shayla Racquel for FOX SOUL's "The Screening Room."

Shayla Racquel wrote and directed a short documentary on the Second Wave of the Great Migration for The Phillips Collection to celebrate their centennial. The Phillips Collection is the first modern art museum in America and showcased the film in its galleries in 2021.

In honor of the John Singleton EmbRACE initiative hosted by Pan African Film Festival in collaboration with the city of Los Angeles, Shayla Racquel was the director of one of the winning screenplays, The Lifted - an action/thriller - comedy following two long-time friends who believe they witnessed the kidnapping of a young woman by her rideshare. The project won Best Comedic Short at Micheaux Film Festival and was acquired by AMC. The network expanded the proof of concept into the 1.2MM budget feature film Operation Aunties, directed by Wendy Raquel Robinson.

In 2022, Shayla Racquel was the director of the third episode of the anthology horror series Criblore, debuting on a streaming platform in April 2023. She was also tapped as the lead director of the premiere show Heaux & Tell on Keke Palmer’s KeyTV Network, which debuted in Fall 2022. After a successful season, Shayla Racquel was again tapped by KeyTV to direct two additional digital series:  Cuzzin M, which debuted in Spring 2024, and Southern Fried Rice, which debuted in Fall 2025.

In 2024, Shayla Racquel directed the proof of concept for her feature film of the same name, The Off-Brands. That fall, she hosted a five-city national tour of the project showcasing the making-of documentary along with the proof of concept. She sold out each city due to her marketing skills and raised an additional $40,000 for the project, catching the industry's attention.

Shayla Racquel was also tapped to direct Jitterbug, a coming-of-age feature film that follows Izzy, a Black teenage girl who falls in love with Lindy Hop swing dance. The film is shooting in Sweden and Los Angeles in Summer of 2027, with a debut planned for Summer of 2028.

In her spare time, Shayla Racquel enjoys writing feature films and serves as a director/producer in the commercial space (Clients include but are not limited to: Phillips Collection Museum, Procter & Gamble, Facebook/Meta). She currently serves as the Executive Creative Director of Chosen Few Creative Agency.

Shayla looks forward to adding to this list as more opportunities flow her way!

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A group of women and men, some wearing black shirts with messages like 'DAMN WRITE' and 'free', gathered in a room for a discussion or meeting. One person is sitting in a wheelchair with a camera, while others are standing and engaging with each othe
A woman sitting on a wooden stool with a big smile, wearing a tan dress, lace-up ankle boots, and earrings, against a black background.
A woman being interviewed by a filmmaker while a man in the background wears a shirt that says, "Can We Dream Together."
A woman with long, curly hair sitting on a wooden stool against a black background. She is smiling, wearing a khaki shirt dress and brown ankle boots.
Three women standing in a room, one with curly hair and another with natural hair, in casual clothing, with a poster on the wall and a camera person partially visible.
Two young women sitting at a table in a classroom, engaged in conversation. One woman is wearing headphones and a gray sweatshirt, while the other wears a leather jacket and a white hoodie. There are books and notebooks on the table.
Four individuals standing together at an awards ceremony, three holding certificates in front of a backdrop with the logo of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
A smiling woman with curly hair and glasses, wearing a black top, resting her chin on her hand in a portrait-style black and white photo.
A film crew on set, with a woman holding a notebook standing in a doorway, and three crew members in front of a wooden cabinet operating camera and equipment.
Three women standing on a porch, smiling and talking to a camera. There is a brick house background with a green door, a monitor or screen, and a blue balloon in the foreground.
A woman operating a professional camera on a tripod, recording two women standing in front of a blue bulletin board decorated with photos and cutout shapes.
A behind-the-scenes shot of a film or video shoot inside a casual restaurant or cafe, featuring a camera operator with a camera mounted on a tripod, a young man in a striped sweater sitting at the bar, and a woman with curly hair operating the camera
Three people engaged in conversation in a room with yellow walls, decorated with art and mirrors, and a poster of a child in the background.
Group of six people, including a woman with a microphone, gathered on a sidewalk, with a camera operator seated on a crate, filming or preparing to film. They are in front of a street with cars and trees in the background.
Group of people participating in a street interview or protest, with a woman speaking into a microphone held by a person sitting on a crate, surrounded by reporters and cameramen.
People standing and sitting at a counter in a busy restaurant or café, with kitchen equipment visible in the background.
A woman with headphones and a bun hairstyle, sitting and looking at a monitor, appears to be filming or recording a woman with curly hair, dressed in a blazer, who is displayed on the screen.
Group of women sitting at a conference table with documents, laptops, and beverages, engaged in discussion in a room with other people in the background.
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A woman holding a megaphone speaking indoors, wearing a maroon sweatshirt with 'QUEENPEN' written on it and a black face mask, standing next to another woman in a beige jumpsuit and glasses.
A woman with dark skin and curly hair is smiling while looking at a camera setup, with a headset on her neck. She is in a room with a beige wall and a door behind her.
Four young women are in a room with a large window, engaged in a discussion or activity. One woman stands with a device, possibly recording, while the others are sitting on the floor and on a chair, reading, listening, or talking.
A woman wearing a colorful mask and a tan sweatshirt sits at a table working on a laptop, with a smartphone, water bottle, and white circular device on the table, in a dark room with professional lighting equipment in the background.
A woman wearing a colorful face mask, tan hoodie, and yellow shoes sitting on a chair, surrounded by camera and studio equipment, on a dark stage with black curtains.
Filming of a scene with a woman in an orange dress speaking, surrounded by crew members with cameras and lighting equipment in a living room.
Women in a meeting room, one standing and speaking, wearing a black sweatshirt that reads 'Can We Dream Together?', others seated and taking notes.
Two young women sitting at a table with papers and folders, engaged in a conversation. One is wearing headphones, and the other has her hand near her mouth, appearing to listen intently.
A young woman with curly hair wearing headphones and a gray sweatshirt, standing in a hallway, leaning against a wall, and looking at a person wearing a cap and headphones. The person is operating filming or photography equipment.
Four young adults standing in a hallway with a blue bulletin board behind them. The woman in the center wears a black t-shirt with yellow text that says 'I'M GROW.' and has a microphone clipped to her shirt. The man on the left wears a pink polo shir
Three young women playing cards at a dimly lit table in a social setting. One woman is holding cards and sitting, while the other woman is standing and wearing headphones. A third person, partially visible, is standing near the table. The background
A woman being interviewed by a man with a camera, with a group of people and a large banner in the background that says 'JUSTICE FOR AKILAH'.
A behind-the-scenes shot of a film crew filming a woman reading a magazine in a cozy, sunlit room.
Three people standing together in front of a colorful curtain, with the woman in the middle holding a plaque that reads 'Cassandra Butts Award, Best Student Narrative, Shayla Racquel, July 13, 2018.'
Three women standing together at the March on Washington Film Festival, smiling in front of a red backdrop with the festival's logo.