He moved around a lot and experienced various neighborhoods on the eastside of Buffalo...some were mellow and others were like a warzone. Through it all, Amire Reed credits his experiences on the eastside with keeping him motivated and focused on art. He grew up with his grandmother and spent very little time with his parents during his formative years. He met his mother at the age of nine and his father at the age of twelve. Amire believes the lack of parental involvement during his formative years birthed his resiliency. Although he had three half sisters and one half brother, Amire spent the majority of his time around his friends and their families.

 

Amire flourished in art and it provided him with a sense of wholeness; the ability to create made him happy. His teachers took note of his talent and encouraged him to use it, which gave Amire confidence in knowing he could do something many others could not. He attended Emerson Vocational High School and Utica College and admits his commitment to his social life outweighed his interest in academics and organized sports.

 

Film making landed in Amire’s lap as he considered becoming a rapper/producer. After finding out what it took to film a music video he decided he needed to be behind the lens where his creativity would surely flourish. He made his first movie, “Bartenders” in 2012 and he became eager to learn and invest more into his craft.

 

The challenges of filmmaking included a shortage of staffing and finances, but never a shortage of vision and creativity.  Partnering with producer and writer Duece King made life easier as they both had similar goals and knew exactly what it would take to execute their vision despite not having all the bells and whistles required in the film industry.

 

Amire has no regrets and views every step as a blessing or a lesson. He wants to be remembered as someone who inspired others, a leader, a trailblazer not afraid to go alone. His free time is spent with his three daughters, hanging out and creating.

 

His dream is to see one of his films on Netflix and to work with A-list actors. Nothing can stop him...he’s all the way up!

 

Netflix and chill anyone?