Yhá Mourhia Wright is an artist who lives in Brooklyn, New York by way of San José, CA. In 2016, during her time in Graduate School, she began development of her original One-Act play, Sins Have Come: An American Story - a story which delves into politics, mental health, and matters of race during what was once thought by many to be a “post-racial” United States
In May 2016, she graduated with her MFA in Acting and developed diverse playwriting and screenwriting portfolio. Upon graduation, she founded her production company, YháWright Productions! and developed the company’s first original series, #LoveMyRoomie in which she is the Writer, Director, and Executive Producer.
Yhá Mourhia is the Assistant Director/Producer of a short film entitled SPOT: A True Period Piece and won the Best Actress award for her work in #LoveMyRoomie at the 2018 GLOW Festival in Hollywood where she was also nominated for an award as Best Writer. Two months later, she was awarded as Best Director (Web Original category) for her work in #LoveMyRoomie at the 2018 Newark International Film Festival.
She recently co-starred as Mia in Pillow Talk. The new digital series from the Emmy nominated Creators of 'Tough Love.' Yhá Mourhia returned to the stage in March 2019 as a part of the cast of the new play “Opportunity” written by Stanley Martin and directed by Michael Blatt performed at the Riant Theatre’s Strawberry One-Act Festival. After a three-show run, she took home the festival’s award for Best Actress in a long play.
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival? The Hip Hop Film Festival was the first festival to accept #LoveMyRoomie. I remember finding out on a Thursday evening, screaming at the top of my lungs and running around my apartment. At that point, I had spent 1.5 years working on #LoveMyRoomie without ONE day off. It was a promise I made to myself - to be consistent no matter how things appeared. It was a moment of true payoff. I also loved the networking and community at Hip Hop Film Festival. It was great to be reminded of how there was a space for creators like me and I made some true connections during my time at the festival in 2018.
Why are stories from the culture important? Stories FROM the culture are important because we SHAPE culture. Like anything else, it's better to hear and see stories from the source. When we break it down, people don't like telephone or hearsay and I believe that this is no different. The people telling the stories should be the people who are closest to having experienced those stories. That's not to say anyone else can't sit at the table, it's to say that the table is a space where the voices of those being represented are being heard and valued - in real ways.
What projects are you working on now? I'm currently working on my first short film, #LoveMyRoomie is in post-production, and writing a few other projects. 2021 (yes, I'm already planning next year) is going to be busy in the best way.
Why do you think the Harlem film house and Hip Hop Film Festival is important? It goes back to space. We need to continue to have a space that is centric to a community - Harlem - that has given birth to so many artistic movements that have shaped and informed the world. It is important that we honor the legacy and sacrifice of these movements and, of course, that we continue to move the needle on our own.
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