Thymaya Payne is a director and producer, best known for his highly regarded documentary film Stolen Seas, an in-depth exploration[1] of Somali piracy.
In an attempt to escape the instability of his childhood[citation needed] he graduated from high school early and attended the University of Chicago at sixteen.
Alongside his filmmaking, Thymaya continues his writing practice and is the author of various short stories and novellas, including "Cardamon" and "C7", written while living in Mexico City.
[2] In 2015, Thymaya co-wrote and produced the independent film Live Cargo directed by Logan Sandler, starring Lakeith Stanfield and Dree Hemingway.
[citation needed] He was also an associate producer on several independent films including Justin Kelly's, King Cobra (2016) starring James Franco and Christian Slater.