Direct Contact

Neema Barnette is a prominent, innovative, and prolific director, writer, and producer whose socially and politically charged work has redefined how African Americans are represented on screen. With a career spanning over three decades, Barnette has made history multiple times and earned widespread critical acclaim, along with numerous accolades for her groundbreaking contributions to film and television.

Barnette made television history as the first African American woman to direct a sitcom—What’s Happening Now—and later became the first African American to secure a three-picture deal at a major studio, Columbia Pictures. Over the course of her career, Barnette has directed more than 75 hours of television, 10 television movies, and three theatrically released feature films: Civil Brand (Lions Gate), Woman Thou Art Loosed on the 7th Day, and Spirit Lost. Her honors include an EMMY Award & 3 nominations, multiple NAACP Image Awards and nominations, and a Directors Guild of America (DGA) nomination.

Recent directing credits include Kingdom Business (BET Plus), Harlem (Amazon) – 2023 NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Comedy Director, Reasonable Doubt (Hulu, Executive Producers: Kerry Washington & Larry Wilmore), multiples of All Rise & Love Is (OWN NETWORK), Naomi (The CW, from Ava DuVernay), The Equalizer starring Queen Latifah (CBS), Genius: Aretha (Nat Geo/Fox), and numerous others.

Barnette has been an active member of the Directors Guild of America since 1989 and is a directing member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Television Academy, and the DGA’s African American Steering Committee.