Folded Whispers — Documentary Short Film Now Streaming
Nearly fifteen years after his last featured performance, Mark Anthony Thomas returned to the stage during the height of the pandemic to film Folded Whispers, a documentary short captured in 2022 at Pittsburgh’s historic Kelly Strayhorn Theater. Featuring 17 new original poems on identity, urban life, love, loss, race, and the collective weight of COVID, the film becomes both a personal reckoning and a tribute to a space that has long nurtured Black and queer artists.
Critics have embraced Folded Whispers as a powerful reintroduction to Thomas’ voice. Reviewers describe the film as “deeply spiritual and reflective,” “a reunion between an artist and his art,” and “a vivid journey through universal fears and experiences.” Others call it “narratively resonant and moving,” “a heartfelt evening with an insightful artist,” and “a poetic experience that captivates even non-poetry lovers.”
Across festivals, the film has been praised for its emotional clarity, hypnotic language, and the way it reveals “the artist’s soul” while reminding audiences that great poetry lives in sincerity and human truth.
Release Date: Friday November 18, 2022 | Watch Trailer
“This short is powerful and beautiful and it works very well on a multitude of different levels.”
Awards & Festival Recognition for Folded Whispers
Wins & Finalists
Winner — Gothamite Monthly Film Awards
Winner — Florence Film Award (Documentary Short)
Finalist — Berline Film Haus (Best Short Documentary)
Honorable Mentions
Art Film Awards
Luminous Frames
Official Selections
Independent Shorts Awards
Washington DC International Cinema Festival
The Monthly Film Festival
Direct Monthly Online Film Festival
Top Shorts
London Movie Awards
Sweden International Film Festival
International Gold Awards
International Black and Diversity Film Award
New York True Venture Film Festival
Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival
Film Credits
Mark Anthony Thomas, Producer
Jordon Rooney, Director
Shane McFarland, Director
Ezra Jones, Production Team
Joseph Hall, Kelly Strayhorn
Pamela Weatherspoon, Kelly Strayhorn
J.R. Shaw, Kelly Strayhorn
Liz Rudnick, Kelly Strayhorn
Quinn Glabicki, Photography
Elan Mizrahi, Photography
Isaiah Warfield, Public Relations
Press: Isaiah Warfield