Ric Mathis AKA “Documentary King” is an award-winning filmmaker and author with over 20 years of experience in photojournalism and filmmaking. Mathis is the founder of West End Filmmakers based in Atlanta, GA. He is internationally recognized as a leading director, producer, and writer.  In 1997, he began his career in performing arts managing talent for HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. These Poets appeared at the HBO Film Festival and  Def Poetry Jam on Broadway where such notable Poets went on to win a Tony Award, Peabody Award and Emmy Award. In 2005, he became the supervising producer at Rolling Out Magazine in the video department. Since then, he has produced and captured hundreds of cinematography, including his debut sequels launched in 2015 The Black Friday Series, Contradiction, and more. In 2017, he launched the Black Friday 2 Living Legacy world tour, traveling to countries like Mexico, Spain, and West Africa (Ghana) to teach generational wealth, entrepreneurship and Legacy Building. Today, he is one of Atlanta’s renowned storytellers specializing in idealization, film production, and distribution. 

 

Born in Valdosta, South Georgia, Mathis was raised in Atlanta. After graduating from Frederick Douglas High School, he attended Fort Valley State University and later earned a B.S. in Music Management with a Minor in Marketing from Georgia State University. From 2015-2017, he released his popular documentary collection: The Film Black Friday, Black Friday The Remix, and Black Friday 2. The films featured Les Brown, David Banner, Hill Harper, Dr. Boyce Watkins, Judge Glenda Hatchett, Cynthia Bailey, Malcolm Jamal Warner, and other notable figures. The films garnered esteem awards from the Hip Hop Film Festival N.Y.C. and Pan African film festival. 

 

Mathis launched Rich Kid Society in 2017, where he volunteered with Jack and Jill of America, The Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, and The Black Men’s Lab. After he released “The Kids Money Book,” he partnered with many organizations and companies like New York Life Insurance, Allstate Insurance, The Pearl Academy, AARP, and Clark Atlanta University to teach asset protection and financial literacy. Former President Obama awarded Mathis the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 for his humanitarian efforts and community service. Currently, he sits on the boards for Exclusive Service Healthcare and The Book Bank Foundation, helping black communities with mental health. In November 2022, E.S.H. opened its first abroad location in Nigeria. 

 

Mathis has successfully executed national and global brand campaigns for Pepsi, Essence Music Festival, 100 Black Men, Wal-Mart, Home Depot., and Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2023, he successfully Produced “Bo Legs” a biographical documentary on Political Leader Judge Marvin Arrington Sr. and is scheduled to release another documentary with Dr. Boyce Watkins entitled B1 “The Code of Blackness”. Mathis celebrates the 20th anniversary of his first poetry DVD series Word this year, featuring Cee-Lo Green, The Last Poets, Amiri Baraka, and more. To commemorate his success and honor his late mother, he launched the Gwen Lewis Foundation to help filmmakers and creatives who need food, clothing and shelter.