Brotherly Love, a film written and directed by Jamal Hill and set in Philadelphia, was recognized at last week’s NAACP Image Awards Ceremony with a nomination in the “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture” category. The movie follows a high school basketball player as he struggles navigating the fame that comes with being a star athlete.

 

What’s the hyperlocal connection? Northern Liberties native Shannon Thompson worked as the on-set makeup artist for the film.

In an interview with Philly.com, Thompson explained that she started working with makeup at an early age, but it wasn’t in a glamorous Hollywood setting — her family actually owned a funeral home in Northern Liberties where she was taught how to apply makeup to the bodies of the deceased. But while a young Thompson had no aspiration of becoming a makeup artist, she was drawn to show business and had big dreams of becoming an actress.

After graduating from Thomas Edison High School, Thompson moved to Washington D.C. where she majored in theater at Howard University. It was during her time at Howard that she took a class taught by Reggie Ray, a celebrity makeup artist, that she fell in love with doing makeup.

Since her graduation in 2001, Thompson has worked on various movies and shows and gained plenty of experience as a celebrity makeup artist. Her book, “Makeup is just… Colored Dirt”, is now used as a textbook for the makeup class at her alma mater.

You can see some of Thompson’s work on her Instagram here.

Brotherly Love was nominated for two Image Awards this year: one for KeKe Palmer for “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” and another in the “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture” division