NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, January 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — In an industry often defined by gatekeepers, Dante Hillmedo is building his own door guided by the influence of Black diaspora storytelling and the cultural legacy of his Jamaican roots. A Bronx-born filmmaker and creative entrepreneur raised by Jamaican parents, Hillmedo has quietly become a sought-after visual director for some of the most recognizable names in entertainment, including Jay-Z, Michael Rubin, and Essence Magazine. Now, with an award-winning feature film and a newly launched luxury business venture, Hillmedo is stepping into the spotlight, defining a legacy rooted in Black identity, cultural authenticity, and cinematic luxury.
Born and raised in the Bronx, Hillmedo’s creative perspective was shaped by the rhythm, resilience, and lived experiences of Caribbean immigrant communities in New York City. Though he initially aspired to become an animator, financial challenges forced him to leave the School of Visual Arts after his first year. Undeterred, he pivoted to videography, landing his first paid opportunity through Craigslist with renowned Caribbean DJ Mad Out. That early break introduced him to the Caribbean music ecosystem, where he filmed artists such as Shaggy, Ding Dong, and Kranium, work that sharpened his ability to visually translate diaspora culture with honesty and respect.
Today, Hillmedo runs Team Elite Productions, a company whose name reflects his commitment to excellence, discretion, and cultural integrity. His ability to capture authentic moments in high-visibility environments has led to recurring work documenting both private and public events for Michael Rubin, including Fanatics Fest and the White Party, as well as Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation Gala spaces, where trust, access, and nuance are essential.
Hillmedo’s debut feature film, Butterfly, recently won Best Feature Film at the Spring 2025 Big Apple Film Festival, marking a major milestone for the independently produced debut. The narrative drama follows a teenage girl growing up in a single-parent immigrant household in New York City who uses dance to navigate social pressure, identity, and instability. The film draws directly from Hillmedo’s upbringing by a single immigrant mother, centering a coming-of-age story familiar to many children of the Black diaspora told without spectacle, but with emotional truth.
Beyond filmmaking, Hillmedo continues to expand as a creative entrepreneur. He recently launched Lunessence, a luxury fragrance brand inspired by mood, memory, and cultural expression, featuring high-concentration extrait de parfum scents. He also remains deeply committed to mentorship, having spent six years teaching film and music production at a Riverdale high school, introducing students from underrepresented communities to creative careers often absent from traditional pipelines.
As he prepares for wider distribution of Butterfly and the expansion of his lifestyle ventures, Dante Hillmedo stands as part of a new generation of Black Caribbean creatives reshaping the industry on their own terms through discipline, intention, and storytelling rooted in heritage.
About Dante Hillmedo
Dante Hillmedo is a New York–based filmmaker, visual director, and entrepreneur known for blending cinematic luxury with gritty urban realism. His work centers Black and Caribbean narratives across feature films, celebrity-driven visual storytelling, and high-end branded content.
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Marie Driven Theodore
Playbook MG
marie@playbookmg.com
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