About Us
Searching For August
Have you ever discovered a thread of a story that begged to be pulled?
Searching for August follows budding producer and director Darian Wigfall (IMDb credit: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13800832/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr) as he embarks on a deeply personal journey to uncover his family's roots. His story unravels a unique connection between his lineage and some of the most pivotal moments in American and global history. From connections to Dred Scott being the first enslaved person to successfully sue for his freedom to the founding of the United States when Wigfalls socialized with Thomas Lynch, Jr. who signed the Declaration of Independence at their parish in South Carolina to General Sherman’s Field Order 15 granting land to Wigfall's ancestor, the beginnings of the transatlantic slave trade, the end of the Civil War in Louis Wigfall trying to end the war himself, this documentary ties one man’s search for the identities of his own ancestors to the broader canvas of significant historical events.
At the heart of the film is Wigfall’s own connection to revolutionary action in Ferguson and that of Nat Turner, a link that transcends centuries and geographical boundaries, connecting him to Turner's interaction with Wigfall's ancestors at the Tower Hill plantation in Virginia. The documentary offers an insightful exploration into how African American history intertwines with the very foundations of the United States. With every layer peeled back, new and surprising connections come to light, revealing hidden stories and forgotten moments in history.
For lovers of history and those captivated by the human experience, Searching for August offers a rare opportunity to witness an intimate family narrative interwoven with generational resilience and revolutionary spirit.
For this feature, I have signed on expert Alan Shaw Taylor is an American historian and scholar who, most recently, was the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia. He is an expert on the time period as well as the specific plantation where some of my ancestors lived. I plan to gain access to this land in the Spring of 2025 through Alan’s connections in Virginia.
See our pitch for the Cannes Festival review board by clicking the image above.
Meet The Director
Darian Wigfall is a dynamic entrepreneur. From running Certain Media to DJing to his book series, one can see he is a storyteller all about exposing the truth, creating connection and leveling up in one’s own life.
When I Spoke at The College of William and Mary
That one time I presented some of my research at the Lemon Symposium at The College of William and Mary.
