McCray Sutherlin

McCray Sutherlin is a filmmaker and the founder of Muddy Water, an independent film studio & record label based in Los Angeles and New York.

In 2026, Sutherlin became the first producer on record to simultaneously win top prizes at Sundance Film Festival in both Feature-Length and Short Film categories for HOLD ONTO ME and JAZZ INFERNAL.

Previously, Sutherlin served as a creative director for Ms Lauryn Hill and was tapped to direct a short film for the stage visuals of her world tour: 25th Anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Sutherlin's work has been nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for producing Rosalia’s "Hentai" video as well as winning a Clio Award for The Weeknd’s "After Hours" album campaign in which he served as an Executive Producer. His work has accumulated over 2 billion views on YouTube and he has directed / produced visuals for some of the world's most influential artists, fashion designers, and brands.

He was born and raised in New Orleans and studied Film & Media at LSU as well as Economics at MIT before beginning his career in the UTA mailroom. He has mentored under Grammy Award Winner Ms Lauryn Hill, Academy Award Nominee Michael Tolkin, and veteran talent manager Ben Rowe.

He is currently developing and producing 4 feature length films including his directorial debut.