MISTERDUKE PRODUCTIONS

An award-winning film production company founded by actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer Chad Eric Smith.

CHAD ERIC SMITH

Storyteller

Chameleon

Chad Eric Smith is a native of Washington, DC with over 15 years of experience as a professional actor both on stage and in front of the camera. In 2014, he added filmmaker to his resume when he co-wrote and starred in his film directorial debut, the short comedy Dark Therapy. For his performance as a vampire with an irrational fear of blood, he received the Gold Peer Award in the "Acting on Camera - Fiction Male" category from the Television, Internet & Video Association of DC (TIVA-DC). The film also had its Los Angeles premiere at the famous TCL Chinese Theater on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2015, he co-produced and composed the original score for the silent short film See The Boy, inspired by the shooting of Tamir Rice.

In 2017, Smith wrote, produced, and directed the short psychological sci-fi drama Rumination with his production company MisterDuke Productions, LLC. The film follows Elliott (Kelvin Drama), a heartbroken man who travels into the past for a second chance at a failed relationship. He meets Renard (Danny Gavigan), a quirky neuroscientist who offers to alleviate his distress with a new scientific method: a top-secret drug that enables time travel. In 2018, Rumination, which also stars former MISS DC USA L. Angus Whinfield, was an official selection at over 30 film festivals, including the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, the Boston SciFi Film Fest, the DC Black Film Festival, and the Indie Night Film Festival, which took place at the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It also won over 20 awards, including “Best DMV Film” at the Rosebud Film Festival, “Best Local Film” at the Capitol Hill Film Classic, and a Gold Peer Award in the “Directing – Fiction” category from TIVA-DC.

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In the Sumer of 2019, Smith co-produced and starred in the short sci-fi drama Fatherless, written and directed by William M. Crouch of LT4 Productions. He portrays Logan Avery, a troubled young physicist, who, with the help of an eccentric mentor (Michael Mau), seeks to develop time travel in an attempt to fix his childhood. The film is currently on the film festival circuit. Later that year, the Washington, DC's Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OFCTME) named Smith the October 2019 Filmmaker of the Month.

Additionally, Smith is a multi-media consultant. Most notably, he provided consulting for the national non-profit Men Can Stop Rape, where he wrote, directed, and edited public service announcements, promotional videos, and documentaries intended for the organization’s social media content and/or for third-party stakeholders. Smith was responsible for the 60 second promo highlighting MCSR’s revolutionary platform UASKDMV and the MOST Club Reaction to Gillette's "The Best Men Can Be" Ad video, which was featured on Thrive Global and mentioned on NPR’s 1A podcast. 

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In 2020, Smith relocated to Philadelphia, PA, where he serves as the Assistant Guild Coordinator at Mural Arts Philadelphia, "the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change."

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Smith is also a founding member of the Diverse Writers & Artists Of Speculative Fiction, a writers support group.

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MisterDuke Productions, LLC was founded in 2017. The name "MisterDuke" derives from Smith's first two beloved childhood dogs.