iman dupree (they/them/theirs)

artistic practice: vintage inspired portraiture, filmmaking, poetry

bio: hailing from chesapeake, va iman dupree is a trans nonbinary, maryland based artist. after a 10-yr stint in tech consulting, dupree turned their sights toward cinema. although they were accepted into film school (MICA’s Filmmaking MFA) they prioritized making their debut picture, ZAIRE: A Film Noir-Inspired Story, a 3x “Best LGBT Film” award winner.

iman’s narratives focus specifically on intersectionality. their debut film ZAIRE explores a love story’s beginning, which centers a Black trans woman and a Black bisexual cis male. fascinated by the ways we of subcultural communities often oppress ourselves, iman dupree unearths edifying perspectives of blackness, queerness, fatness, identity and disability with unique connections to poetry.

iman dupree has earned multiple grants from the maryland state arts council to self-fund the cinema they believe is quite overdue. their forthcoming portrait OCEANS DEEP follows a returning citizen’s character study. dupree’s dream is to create intersectional cinema internationally.

until then, you may pre-order zaire today at www.irisofiman.org

filmography

photography by iman dupree

title: ”ZAIRE” (formerly known as “love me in the light”)

genre: experimental drama, romance

logline: filmed during dc’s 2025 military occupation, “ZAIRE” explores the quarantine distance that united two souls, who longed for human comfort, beyond closed doors.

starring: carmen banks, benji, venus kii thomas and aaron davis

click to pre-order‍ ‍click to view PRESS KIT

this project is funded in part by the maryland state arts council. thank you msac! to learn more about the maryland state arts council, and how they impact maryland, please visit msac.org.