Hannah Beachler credits upbringing in rural Ohio for success

“I think my upbringing in rural Ohio, growing up in the woods/farms — which later became the suburbs — had everything to do with it," Beachler said. “My father was an architect, and his influence was immense. I spent a lot of time in my imagination, as most kids do, building forts and making up games with my siblings and neighbors in the summertime. This was the 1970s and ‘80s, and there wasn’t much around us, so we had to create things to do.”

Her latest project is the Warner Bros. blockbuster “Sinners,” writer/director Ryan Coogler’s fascinatingly eerie dramatic horror comedy blending racism with the supernatural in 1930s Mississippi. The film has grossed $365.9 million worldwide since its April 3 debut.

Her credits include “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Fruitvale Station,” “Creed” and the 2016 Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning best picture “Moonlight.” She also received an Emmy nomination for Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade” and served as production designer for the documentary concert film “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.”

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

In addition she made her Broadway debut in 2024 designing an Afrofuturistic spin on Dayton native Schele Williams’ rousing revival of “The Wiz,” which proudly reclaims its Black identity and will be on tour with a stop in Dayton at the Schuster Center in November.

“Pushing the envelope, storytelling and people are the things that fuel my passion for my craft,” Beachler said.

On Sunday, Oct. 5, Beachler will be a featured guest at the Yellow Springs Film Festival. She will partake in a conversation at the Foundry Theater moderated by YSFF founder Eric Mahoney which will delve into her career and creativity. For tickets or more information, visit ysfilmfest.com.