Jamil McGinnis is a Turkish and African American filmmaker/photographer originally from Kaiserslautern, Germany. His interest in film began at a young age with an extensive background in photography. He earned a BA from the business school at Florida A&M University and worked on Wall Street as a stockbroker before he entered the film industry. He has worked as a producer at Droga5, one of the top advertising agencies in the country.

Based in Brooklyn, McGinnis writes and directs films with Pat Heywood. Their film work has been featured on PBS, NOWNESS, Booooooom, Blavity, Button Poetry, Poets & Writers, Shots, SHOOT, Designcollector, Moving Poems, and Mubi. Their films have been screened at the Brooklyn Film Festival, Walker Arts Center, and Playa Studios.