Alliance of Women Directors is helmed by an amazing group of members who dedicate their time and expertise volunteering on the Board of Directors. Thank you to SACHA SMITH, TOMEKA M. WINBORNE, and KAMEISHIA WOOTEN for their unwavering dedication to AWD, first as volunteers and then as two-term Board Members. We welcome them to our Emeritus Board and are grateful for their ongoing commitment has each continues to serve on committees. Read more about these amazing Directors below.
SACHA SMITH
“Serving as an Officer and Board Member for AWD has allowed me to advocate for the talented voices shaping the future of filmmaking. To those aspiring to direct, produce, or carve out their own creative path—keep pushing forward! The industry is evolving, and your voice matters. The stories we tell will always shape the world we live in.”
SACHA SMITH began volunteering with AWD on the Communications Committee, where her work led to a huge increase in the organization’s social media presence. She then volunteered with events, helping to develop and facilitate numerous craft enrichment workshops and panels, and twice Co-Chaired the Board Nominating Committee.
Sacha continues to volunteer with AWD through the Studio Partnerships and Events Committees. She has moderated panels for AWD, most notably at Cinegear where she hosted Shotdeck and our Icon Members.
Storytelling has always been Sacha’s passion, as she believes in its power to foster awareness, empathy, and change. Through her work, whether in films, commercials, or music videos, her goal remains the same—to create character-driven narratives that deeply resonate with audiences.
Sacha produced and narrated A Little Fellow, a feature documentary on A.P. Giannini—an Italian-American banker and entrepreneur who revolutionized California and the financial industry by championing those who had been overlooked. His belief in empowering the “little fellow” mirrors her own commitment to amplifying the unheard voices in the industry.
Sacha founded Antidote Digital (ANTIDOTE), a film and commercial production company, and is currently developing IDLE, a feature film about a young woman’s battle with self-destruction and resilience.
TOMEKA M. WINBORNE
“AWD brings together both highly experienced and emerging filmmakers, and what stands out to me is the generosity of our members. So many are willing to share resources, knowledge, and advice. The support system is invaluable.”
TOMEKA M. WINBORNE began volunteering with AWD the day she joined! Recruited by Chaun Pinkston, then Chair of AWD Atlanta (now AWD South), Tomeka was inspired by the community that the organization offered. She joined the Executive Leadership Committee and then became Co-Chair of AWD South, and a member of AWD’s Board of Directors, which gave her a deeper understanding of AWD’s mission and impact and allowed her to ensure that AWD worked as a collective, serving members wherever they reside.
Tomeka continues to serve as Co-Chair of AWD as well as the the Black Directors Advancement Initiative (BDAI), which she helped develop and launch.
Being a Black woman filmmaker in the South presents unique challenges geographical disadvantages, access to opportunities, and industry visibility, to name a few. Through Tomeka’s work with these committees, she’s always thinking about how the directors can build community, refine our craft, and provide mentorship to help our members elevate their careers and compete at the highest level.
Tomeka is really excited about her next chapter as a filmmaker. Currently she is in development on a feature documentary with a producer she met and built a friendship with through AWD. She’s also adapting her short film, “Aged Out” into a feature narrative and is rewriting her second novel.
KAMEISHIA WOOTEN
“Being surrounded by such a talented and supportive network of Directors has made me a better artist and a stronger advocate for women in the industry. AWD is truly committed to advancing women behind the camera, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of that mission.”
The AWD Studio Partnerships Committee was a natural fit for KAMEISHIA WOOTEN, having worked with the Black Employee Resource Groups at Paramount and with Black at Netflix, where she had partnered with entertainment studios and oversaw organizational programming.
Joining the Board amidst the Covid pandemic and the global reckoning following George Floyd’s murder, Kameishia found that contributing to a cause she deeply believed in gave her both purpose and stability. It was an impactful way to support other women in the industry and use her experience to create meaningful opportunities.
Kameishia continues to serve as AWD’s Co-Chair of Studio Partnerships where she collaborates with studios and entertainment companies to create programming and career opportunities for AWD members, helping them navigate and advance in their careers. This year she attended the Sundance Film Festival as an AWD representative through its partnership with NFMLA, which provided great visibility for AWD and celebrated our members with projects featured as official selections.
As a writer/director Kameishia is in development on Your Secret Is Safe With Me, a heartfelt coming-of-age dramedy that explores the complexities of teen pregnancy through humor, resilience, and friendship. Inspired by her Oscar-qualifying short film “Choices,” the feature blends the tone of Juno with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The project recently received its first development grant through the NFMLA New Narrative Grant and was selected for the Stowe Story Labs Producers Lab last fall.