About Bateau

BATEAU is one of the short films selected by Indie Grants and the South Carolina Film Commission for funding and production this year.

“These films show the depth and innovative nature of the filmmaking community we have here in South Carolina,” said Matt Storm, Director of the South Carolina Film Commission. 

“A strong production industry needs strong in-state product development. Indie Grants cultivates that talent and positions them to make future film and television products in the state.”

Donate to the film.

LOGLINE: A Gullah boy grieving his grandfather’s disappearance journeys into the wilderness and has a spiritual encounter.

The Filmmakers

Joshua Parks
Co-Writer/Co-Director/DP

Joshua Parks is a Black southern filmmaker, photographer, and historian with roots spanning seven generations in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Notably, he served as principal photographer for the Greenbook of South Carolina (2022) and showcases work at prestigious venues like the International African American Museum, and the Avery Research Center for African American History & Culture. He helped design core digital exhibitions at several Lowcountry cultural institutions and operates Cimarron Productions, a film, photography, and digital media company. Co-director of the Lowcountry Arts Movement, Joshua holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Howard University and pursues a Masters degree in Public History at the College of Charleston. He most recently served as Director of Photography on High Water by Tyquan Morton and will serve as Director of Photography for Bateau.

Blue Washington
Co-Writer/Co-Director

Brittney (Blue) Washington is a queer Black filmmaker, certified art therapist, and founder of Ferrette House, a multidisciplinary artist residency in Walterboro, SC. Specializing in documentary and visual narrative production, she brings her talents as a writer, curator, photographer, and visual artist to filmmaking. With deep expertise in Gullah-Geechee and Afro-diasporic cultures, she contributes richly to story development and visual aesthetics. Blue’s work has earned her multiple accolades, including Best Film at Trident Technical College for La Luz and first-place honors at the 2024 Atomacon Film Festival. Recently, she supported the camera and production departments for Tyquan Morton's High Water and served as a visiting artist at the Gibbes Museum of Art.

Shaquille Fontenot
Producer

Shaquille Fontenot is a filmmaker and producer at Cedar Wolf Media, passionate about storytelling rooted in Black radical traditions and cultural heritage. With a background in education, independent film production, and media strategy, she has successfully led projects exploring the intersections of identity and landscape, most recently producing High Water by Tyquan Morton (2025), ¿Y Mis Negroes Que? (2025), and Bateau by Joshua Parks (2025). Her production expertise spans all stages of filmmaking, from concept development to post-production. She has collaborated with Clemson University, the International African American Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, the Avery Research Center for African American History & Culture, the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, and Sony to produce innovative media, provide curation support, and curate media-based exhibitions.

"We’re excited to contribute to the canon of stories that articulate the experience of African and Afro-descendant people, especially here in the Lowcountry,”

-Joshua Parks

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We’re currently in the pre-production process, and accepting donations of all kinds—fiscal, as well as donations of time, labor, and food during production!

    Please email us at bateaufilm@gmail.com to connect.

    You can also make a tax deductible donation through the Lowcountry Arts Movement.

  • Bateau is inspired by the rich cultural traditions and history of the Gullah-Geechee people in South Carolina's Lowcountry. The film blends realism and surrealism to explore themes of grief, spirituality, and the enduring connection to ancestral heritage during the Post-Civil War Reconstruction Era.

  • For press inquiries, interview requests, or media opportunities related to Bateau, please contact bateaufilm@gmail.com.

    We’d be happy to share more about the film, its inspiration, and the team behind the project.

  • You can view all open roles on our Casting Page.