Daily Inspiration: Meet Nazir Alston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nazir Alston.

Hi Nazir, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like many filmmakers, I always had a fascination with movies. I was one of the kids who couldn’t wait until the DVD menu appeared on the TV to watch the behind-the-scenes footage about how the movie was made. Around 12 years old, I started recording YouTube videos on my mom’s blackberry phone. Once my dad noticed I was taking YouTube video seriously, he bout me a camcorder from Target.

I went to a performing arts high school, majoring in TV Broadcast, and in the 10th grade, I had to take everything I knew about video and film at that time, I started a production company, “NKA Creations” with my father, Robert “Hershey” Alston, and created a documentary about Sickle Cell Anemia

The film, titled “Incomplete Cell” (2016), has been screened and incorporated into collegiate curricula. Incomplete Cell planted the seeds that allowed me to produce our documentary, “District Greenwood: The Amalgamated People” (2023). The film took seven years to bring to the world. Due to the sensitive subject matter, it was challenging to run organic campaigns on social media platforms every time we attempted to fundraise or raise awareness within our network about our work. The film is now available on multiple platforms.

Post-pandemic (2021), I lost a good friend who was also a filmmaker to gun violence in Philadelphia. I was one of the last people to work with him, and to get a call that he was found dead in a car with all of his film gear stolen, sent me into a depressive state.

Another filmmaker friend, Sulayman Tahir (“Peripheral” director BET+), heard about the news and invited me to Los Angeles, allowing me to crash in his spare room to help get my head right. This was my first time in LA. During this time, I formed lasting relationships within the filmmaking community, working on sets and in writers’ rooms. We were developing an unannounced TV series. I had the opportunity to write Episode 04 of the series. This was my first time writing anything in the narrative format. Thanks to Lay and his guidance, I gained the confidence and skillset to start writing on my own.

My car was totaled at the end of 2022. Forcing me to live with my father for a year. At this point, I’m living the bi-coastal lifestyle, hopping on a plane whenever a 310 area code pops up on my phone to work. Typically, there were 3 people: Sulayman, Delmar Washington, or Christina Faith. I used all the money I saved from working in 2023 to write and produce my first short film, “The Boy”, which went into production in 2024. I picture-locked the film, along with another film, “Grace”, directed by Sulayman Tahir, in summer 2025 and had the pleasure of screening The Boy at the Micheux Film Festival (2025) in Culver City, Los Angeles. The film was nominated for “Outstanding Cinematography”. Grace was in the same festival that was nominated for “Outstanding Experimental Film”.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My filmmaking journey has been anything but smooth. There have been many financial sacrifices and time away from family invested in this “dream”. In recent times, I have been able to reap some of the rewards of my efforts, both financially and in terms of turning it into a career.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
For the past decade, I have specialized in directing and producing documentary work that addresses social issues I felt were underrepresented. Some films were original content, while others were commissioned by larger organizations, such as the YMCA. Since graduating from high school, the film industry has been my primary source of income, encompassing a diverse range of work, including directing, cinematography, and producing. For the last two and a half years, I have been transitioning my career focus to scripted narratives. I am extremely proud of leading the production of three short films in 2025, with directing one of those three, The Boy.

My goal within the next 2-3 years is to secure an agent and release a feature film with a theatrical distribution and a studio “original” film. Currently, I have a film entitled “Marsha” that I co-wrote in collaboration with Aaliya Willis.

I believe Marsha greatly meshed my theme of addressing social issues and thrilling entertainment. Marsha will be Candid, Authentic, and Uneasy. As “Kevin Bedi, a lonely teenager, is drawn into a perilous relationship with Marsha, a mysterious cam-girl. As her sinister past comes to light and a detective connects her to a string of disappearances.”

The film will highlight the social issue of unvoiced young boys who have been groomed by women who have an age gap. One may think that that would be a young boy’s dream, but in reality, this dynamic can have detrimental effects on a boy as he develops into a man.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There is an endless number of people who have made a deep contribution to my film career. I would start with my family, beginning with my Mom, my Dad (Hershey Alston), and my Aunt (Schanel Garner). My parents have also supported me since the first time that I picked up a camera. My father is my business partner in our production company, NKA Creations. My Aunt Schanel has been a producer on multiple film projects, with financial contributions.

Along my journey, I have encountered amazing people who have paved the way for me to help navigate the terrain of Hollywood. My mentor, Delmar Washington of Ximen Media Group, has been with me since the start of my first documentary project. My first time meeting my he surprised me by flying from LA to Philly to sit in my grandmother’s living room for 8 hours to help polish the final cut of the Incomplete Cell before I screened it next week. Delmar is still very active as a mentor to me.

In addition, I must give credit to Sulayman Tahir for demonstrating how to properly position myself to be respected as a film director, rather than just someone skilled with a camera and capable of telling a story. Showing me the subtle nuances needed to understand what it takes to develop stories.

Lastly, Christina Faith of The Grindhouse Inc. has been extremely helpful to my filmmaking journey over the past few years. I have been working with Christina for the Last 3 years as a cinematographer and associate producer. During the time of producing “The Boy” and “Grace”, she was extremely helpful with securing the necessary equipment for our crew to use.

I appreciate everyone who has contributed to my journey thus far, and I am open to adding more people to that list in this next chapter of my career.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nkacreations.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nazirkalston/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063561974692
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazir-alston-6782a5102/
• Twitter: https://x.com/nazirthecreator
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NKAcreations1

Image Credits
Photos #1, #3, and #6 were shot by Allen Johnson of The Grindhouse Inc.