Writer · Director · Producer

JorèsPhilippe Jr.

Haitian-American filmmaker telling the stories the mainstream overlooks — in our language, in our voice, out of New York City.

The Film Credits

Based inNew York City

Founder ofVANYAN LLC

Director ·Producer · Composer

Now in Production · Directorial Debut

The Hands That
Beat The Drum

A relentless drummer's nightly ritual bewilders his daughter — driving her to uncover the truth behind the rhythm.

A bilingual narrative short set in the Haitian diaspora of Brooklyn. A meditation on grief, legacy, and what gets passed down — told through the language, music, and rituals of a community that rarely sees itself on screen with this kind of care.

Short FilmKreyòl / EnglishBrooklyn2026

Quarterfinalist Stage 32 + DramaBox

Honorable Mention Finish Line Script Competition

$12,000 secured of $18,000 — raising the final $6,000

Support the Film → Learn More

Jorès Philippe Jr. walking through Times Square

Little Haiti · Brooklyn

I shall be felt
and not seen.

Toussaint Louverture

Little Haiti subway platform sign, Newkirk Avenue, Brooklyn

Newkirk Avenue - Little Haiti Station subway sign

Where the story lives

Jorès Philippe Jr. in Times Square, New York City

The Filmmaker

Where I come from, and why it matters.

I'm a Haitian-American writer, director, and producer out of New York City. I came up producing and scoring independent shorts, then earned my MFA in Film Production. Now I direct.

My debut, The Hands That Beat The Drum, is a bilingual short set in the Haitian diaspora of Brooklyn — the kind of story the industry rarely makes room for. That's the whole job: bring real craft to the voices that get overlooked, and tell them in our own language. I build it all under VANYAN, LLC and the VANYAN Institute.

Selected Filmography

05 / SHORTS

In Production

Festival RecognitionThe Hands That Beat The Drum — Stage 32 + DramaBox Quarterfinalist · Finish Line Screenwriting Honorable Mention

Full profile on IMDb →

The Studio

Vanyan

In Haiti, vanyan means valiant — brave, bold, unbroken. That's the standard. VANYAN is my New York transmedia studio, built as the bridge between the bright lights of Hollywood and the communities the industry forgets. We bring real craft and real care to stories that rarely get either — so they don't just get told, they get heard. Because when a story reaches people, it travels. Wherever you're from, we want your voice on screen — and the world to see what a little valiance can do.