Dewey A. Ortiz, Jr. co-founded DK Filmworks in 2010 with the goal of changing the perception of African-Americans in cinema. His latest film, Higher Power, is the second documentary Mr. Ortiz has developed that highlights the perseverance of D.C. residents. His series Survivor Stories, which features four courageous D.C. women who have survived domestic abuse, won Best Web Series at the 2017 D.C. Black Film Festival. In addition to directing our living stories, Mr. Ortiz is also an imaginative writer. He wrote, directed and executive produced his first narrative short, Comeuppance that screened at several festivals in 2014, and is currently available for streaming on Amazon. In February 2019, Mr. Ortiz completed The Runaways, a powerful short filmed in D.C. that follows abused and neglected teenagers as they gather the courage to escape their tumultuous lives. To date, The Runaways has won awards at the Columbus Black International Film Festival and the Capital City Black Film Festival; has screened at the BronzeLens Film Festival, Roxbury International Film Festival and Afrikana Film Festival; and will be screening at Filmfest DC, San Francisco Black Film Festival, and Montreal International Black Film Festival. In 2020 Mr. Ortiz was selected to participate in the 202Creates Artist Residency program in Washington, D.C. The program helps creative entrepreneurs grow their business or projects from idea to creation.