ABOUT RICH McKEOWN 

Photo By: Dallas Logan

FILMMAKER | EDUCATOR | HUMANITARIAN

Rich McKeown is a distinguished figure in the realms of film-making, education, and humanitarian work. His dedication and contributions have earned him numerous prestigious accolades, including The President's Lifetime Achievement Award, The President's Volunteer Service Award, The State of Maryland's Governor's Citation, and the honor of being a Fulbright Specialist.

Founder/President of KoolKidz Television & Publishing, LLC - D/B/A Kool Media
Established in 2005, KoolKidz Television & Publishing, LLC has achieved significant acclaim, with over 350 Film Festival selections and awards worldwide. The company's children’s DVDs and documentaries have been prominently featured on platforms such as Revolt TV, the Education Channel, PWCSTV on Verizon FiOS channel 36, and East Africa Television’s Kids Time Program. The children’s DVDs are also available in libraries across the United States and Canada. 

Extensive Industry Experience
Rich brings a wealth of experience from his 15 years with publishing and entertainment giants such as Prentice Hall/Simon & Schuster, Sony Video, Boosey & Hawkes, Bertelsmann Music Group, and HBO. This is further complemented by an additional 12 years in sales, making him a versatile professional with a comprehensive understanding of the industry.

Educator and Speaker
As a public speaker and educator, Rich has led numerous workshops and presentations. He has worked with the National Black Children’s Development Institute, presented at Columbia College in Chicago and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and produced multiple Film/Beatbox workshop residencies with the Harvard Office of the Arts/Learning from Performers Program. In 2018, Rich was named Arts Hub Leader for the Mandela Washington Fellows at Wagner College on Staten Island, NY. 

Diplomatic Engagements and International Projects
Rich has been a key figure in various international initiatives. In 2019 he became a Mandela Washington Fellow Reciprocal Awardee, leading a 10-day micro-budget filmmaking workshop in Equatorial Guinea with 2017 Washington Mandela Fellow, Valerio O. Thompson Boco.

In 2021, he was awarded a US Embassy Diplomacy Grant in Guinea-Conakry to establish a film department at the Espace Cultural de Siba Fassou and taught at the Institut Supérieur des Arts Mory Kanté in Dubréka. In 2022, he received subsequent grants to continue his work in Dubréka and to lead projects in Bamako, Mali, where he produced the inaugural Bamako Films for Peace Symposium & Workshop in June 2023. Most recently, he completed a two-part program, "Films for a Bright Future" Workshop and Film Festival in Guinea, focusing on marginalized communities.

Acclaimed Productions
Rich is the producer, executive producer, assistant editor, music supervisor, and composer of the award-winning feature documentary "American Beatboxer." This documentary, broadcast on Revolt TV, The Urban Movie Channel, and Tubi was inducted into New York University’s Hip Hop Education Center, the Harvard Hip Hop Archives, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives in 2014. Rich has many other award-winning short films documentaries and children’s content including Wormead and Obara and the Merchants.

Current Projects
Currently, under Kool Media, Rich has two short documentaries, shot in Mali, West Africa in the film festival circuit. Both “Konowolokoun” and “Mali: The Quest for Peace” have received Official Selections with the latter winning Best Short Film at the Africa USA International Film Festival in Hollywood. He will  be working with Les Ballets Africains, producing two more films from Guinea and Mali, in addition to projects directed by Guinean filmmakers.

AWARDS AND CITATIONS

  • 2023 Presidents Awards & the State of Maryland Governor’s Citation

  • Letter from the President
    The White House

  • The President’s Volunteer
    Service Award

  • The President’s Lifetime
    Achievement Award

  • Equatorial Guinea Cultural, Film & Theater Certificate

  • Fulbright Specialist Roster Decision

  • ISAMK Certificate

  • Siba Fassou Certificate