about deacon

Deacon Warner is a filmmaker and educator with over fifteen years experience in film production and nearly thirty years experience as a youth media instructor and teacher. As an independent filmmaker, he has produced and directed a number of short documentaries including the award winning films Bee-Sharp Honeybee, Every Day Is a Parade, and Literacy for Freedom: Empowering Black Boys in MN. His first feature, The Co-op Wars, a documentary on the food co-op movement in the Twin Cities, premiered at the Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival in 2021. His latest feature, Come Talk to ME, premiered at MSPIFF 2026 and was screened at the World Parkinson Congress 2026 in Phoenix. As an educator, Deacon helped found the youth program at FilmNorth (formerly IFP Minnesota) where he ran the program for 15 years. Before working at FilmNorth, Deacon was a social studies teacher at North High in Minneapolis and co-founder of the Polar Producers after-school documentary team. In 2020, Deacon joined the roster of COMPAS teaching artists and is available to book for workshops and residencies. As a freelance videographer, Deacon makes promotional films for non-profits and educational institutions. Able to work as a one-person crew, he offers affordable production options. Past clients include: Avalon School, Katha Dance Theatre, The Playwrights' Center, Best Buy Children’s Foundation, Boy’s and Girl’s Club, Forecast Public Art, Girl Scouts, Hennepin Medical Foundation, Lower Phalen Creek Project, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, MN Sheltie Rescue, St Paul Optimist Club, Transgender Voices Festival, University of Minnesota, Urban Ventures, VocalEssence, COMPAS, Partnerships Resources, Inc & the Rochester Chamber Orchestra.