Damon J. Barnes
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Damon J. Barnes is a Bajan non-binary (they/him/her) writer, filmmaker, actor, and activist based in Maryland and NYC. (11/28/2022) Damon is editor-in-chief at NUNAR magazine, a DMV youth culture magazine. As a model, Damon has done work with DMV-local and major brands including House of Ndongo, Nova Bossa, Telfar, and Apple.
(08/21/2023) Damon has done video work with the Sunrise Movement and Green New Deal Network and is a communications & strategy volunteer for the Free Billie Allen Campaign.
Damon was born to Paul Barnes and Deborah Clarke in Washington, D.C., on April 3, 1998, along with their identical twin, Darius. They were raised in Maryland and attended elementary, middle, and high school in Greenbelt, MD. Damon's passion for films began during their freshman year of high school when they took their first TV production class at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Damon soon became a member of the school's Honors Film Association. In their sophomore year, Damon joined the drama club and participated in their first school musical, "Into the Woods." Later that sophomore year, Damon was inducted into the school's Thespian Honors Society.
After experiencing their first school musical, Damon wanted to create a film capturing the behind-the-scenes of the next mainstage production. They believed that people outside the theater club should be able to witness and experience the intensity that goes into a musical production. Damon wrote, directed, shot, and edited their first film, "The Show Must Go On," which premiered in August 2016 at the Old Greenbelt Theater.
Damon completed a one-year filmmaking conservatory program at the New York Film Academy in Burbank in September 2017. They worked on various projects while living in North Hollywood from 2016-2018, including directing, producing, assistant directing, production design, location managing, script supervising, camera assisting, and gripping. Part of their set experience includes shooting student projects on Universal Studios' back lot at various times. Damon produced their second film, "Straight to Hell," a dark-comedic short film, in late June 2017 as a thesis project for NYFA. They later premiered it at North Hollywood's Laemmle NoHo 7.
After moving back to Maryland in 2018, Damon co-founded NUNAR magazine with their twin brother Darius and two childhood friends, James and AJ. Damon also directed the Uprise DMV Festival in 2021, an artist-activist festival in partnership with Sunrise Movement DC and several non-profit groups in the DMV area.
Damon aims to use their passion for writing and filmmaking to uplift Black LGBTQ+ people and storylines, using their platform to advocate for issues related to race, gender, climate, and class.
(08/21/2023) Damon has done video work with the Sunrise Movement and Green New Deal Network and is a communications & strategy volunteer for the Free Billie Allen Campaign.
Damon was born to Paul Barnes and Deborah Clarke in Washington, D.C., on April 3, 1998, along with their identical twin, Darius. They were raised in Maryland and attended elementary, middle, and high school in Greenbelt, MD. Damon's passion for films began during their freshman year of high school when they took their first TV production class at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. Damon soon became a member of the school's Honors Film Association. In their sophomore year, Damon joined the drama club and participated in their first school musical, "Into the Woods." Later that sophomore year, Damon was inducted into the school's Thespian Honors Society.
After experiencing their first school musical, Damon wanted to create a film capturing the behind-the-scenes of the next mainstage production. They believed that people outside the theater club should be able to witness and experience the intensity that goes into a musical production. Damon wrote, directed, shot, and edited their first film, "The Show Must Go On," which premiered in August 2016 at the Old Greenbelt Theater.
Damon completed a one-year filmmaking conservatory program at the New York Film Academy in Burbank in September 2017. They worked on various projects while living in North Hollywood from 2016-2018, including directing, producing, assistant directing, production design, location managing, script supervising, camera assisting, and gripping. Part of their set experience includes shooting student projects on Universal Studios' back lot at various times. Damon produced their second film, "Straight to Hell," a dark-comedic short film, in late June 2017 as a thesis project for NYFA. They later premiered it at North Hollywood's Laemmle NoHo 7.
After moving back to Maryland in 2018, Damon co-founded NUNAR magazine with their twin brother Darius and two childhood friends, James and AJ. Damon also directed the Uprise DMV Festival in 2021, an artist-activist festival in partnership with Sunrise Movement DC and several non-profit groups in the DMV area.
Damon aims to use their passion for writing and filmmaking to uplift Black LGBTQ+ people and storylines, using their platform to advocate for issues related to race, gender, climate, and class.