The 5 Black Women Directors Reshaping Cinema
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The movie industry has always had a knack for stifling creatives of color, particularly Black women. Now, newly in powerful positions, Black women directors have been presenting fresh narratives and taking their rightful place in the industry. Their work deserves to be seen and supported, as it reshapes what Blackness and Black womanhood means within mainstream culture.
The following is a list of five Black women movie directors who are changing the landscape of cinema and how we see ourselves on screen.
Allen-Miller’s directorial debut romantic-comedy, Rye Lane, is hilarious with masterful charm. The film received its world premiere at Sundance in 2023. She’s always had a passion for filmmaking from her time at the BRIT School studying art and design. It not only allowed her to connect with other like-minded people but also to discover her interest in directing. However, as many Black women can relate to, Allen-Miller allowed imposter syndrome to deviate her away from directing and study illustration instead. Thankfully, an early career in advertising gave her the opportunity to collaborate on high-profile filmed campaigns and renewed her passion for directing.
Allen-Miller left advertising to build up her own directorial portfolio with music promos and commercial work, before making her first short, Jerk (2018). This premiered at the BFI London Film Festival which ultimately brought Rye Lane her way through BBC Film. With the freedom to make the script her own, she was able to add her visual genius and humor.
D Smith is a Grammy-nominated producer but was shunned by the music business at the height of her success, after coming out as transgender. After a stint on reality television, she reinvented herself as a filmmaker. The film, Kokomo City, stands out in a line of documentaries about the LGBTQ+ community. Rather than following the usual technique of shooting sound and pictures together, Smith taped actual interviews with four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York — as well as a handful of trans-attracted men. What most stood out to me about this film is that she is able to bring insight, humor, and most of all humanity.
The self-taught filmmaker noted in her Sundance Institute video that she decided to direct Kokomo City after several directors said no to taking on the movie. The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the grand jury’s Next Innovator Award and the Audience Award in the Next category for emerging filmmakers.
If you have spent any amount of time in the Black church, the film Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul will resonate, as it gives a razor-sharp depiction of Black church culture. Adamma, along with her identical twin sister, producer Adanne, released this feature film in 2022. It is based on their experiences growing up in Southern Baptist megachurches in Atlanta. It is a true testament of what it looks like to turn memories of moments into a story that would become a short film, a master’s thesis, and eventually a feature film.
The sisters’ television writing credits include the Amazon series Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Batman: Caped Crusader. Adamma has directed an episode of FX’s Atlanta and three episodes of Amazon and Donald Glover’s Swarm, which had us all in a chokehold. Adamma is a Spelman College graduate, as well as a UCLA Film School graduate.
As many creators are struggling to stay inspired in producing their content, Adamma provides the practical yet effective advice of making sure to go outside to take in the world. It can be as simple as sitting in the park to people watch, or eavesdropping to spark inspiration.
A native of New York City, Rockwell studied filmmaking at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She also received fellowships from the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, and the John S. Guggenheim Foundation. Searchlight Pictures acquired her short film Feathers before the film’s world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.
Rockwell made her feature-film debut as a writer and director with A Thousand and One, with Lena Waithe as one of the producers. It won the 2023 Sundance Film Festival’s grand jury prize for U.S. Dramatic. Set in New York City from 1993 to 2005, it tells the story of Inez de la Paz (Teyana Taylor), who changes the identity of her son because she doesn’t want him to go back into the foster care system.
I love what Rockwell notes about A Thousand and One: “I appreciate the opportunity I had to address how marginalized communities were treated during this era. I’m grateful for this chance I had to honor the heroic nature of the Black women who, like Inez, were able to raise us and persevere despite how much they are overlooked.”
Foumbi has a background as an actor in independent films such as 2020’s American Thief and 2022’s Paris Is in Harlem. A filmmaker alum of Berlinale Talents and New York Film Festival’s Artist Academy, Foumbi makes her feature-film debut as a writer, director, and producer with Our Father, the Devil.
The film is about an African immigrant named Marie Cissé (Babetida Sadjo), who is working as the head chef at a retirement home in France. A priest named Father Patrick (Souléymane Sy Savané), from her African homeland, arrives in France, and he brings with him disturbing memories for Marie.
Our Father, the Devil won the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival’s Audience Award for Narrative Feature Films. Other film festival prizes for the movie include the 2022 American Black Film Festival’s Best Narrative Feature Film and the John Singleton Award for First Feature. Our Father, the Devil was nominated for Best Feature at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards.