Threshold

Threshold — a 16-minute short I directed for the 2026 festival circuit. A boxer on the eve of his last fight visits his estranged father in a nursing home and confronts the punch that killed his career. The cast: Kemi Okafor as the boxer (Marcus), Rashad Williams as the father, Imani Brooks as the trainer, Stephen Lee as the gym owner, and a brief cameo from Nigerian heavyweight Anthony Joshua as himself watching the bout on TV. Shot anamorphic 2.39:1 on the ARRI Alexa Mini LF with Cooke S4i Anamorphic primes. DP was Nadia Reyes, gaffer Aaliyah Jefferson, 1st AC Carlos Mendez, sound by Imani Brooks. Edited by Naomi Park over six weeks. Original score by Kerry Brown — solo cello with a 12-piece string section recorded at AIR Studios. Color graded at Light Iron Houston by Marcus Allen using DaVinci. Music supervision by Ola Sanusi at Format. Producer Tasha Bell, executive producer Damon Wright. We delivered a 16-minute festival cut, a 4-minute trailer, and a 60-second social tease. Treatment doc lives at threshold.film/treatment. Premiered at the Houston Black Film Festival (Audience Award), played BlackStar Film Festival (Best Cinematography), Indie Memphis, Pan African Film Festival, and Tribeca Online. The Hollywood Reporter wrote "a knockout debut, anchored by Okafor's quietly devastating performance — ★★★★½." Variety called it "Dior Dave announces a major voice in Black indie cinema." Won the BlackStar Cinematography Award and a Houston Press Club Lone Star Award for Best