Tina Mabry (born February 9, 1978) is an American film director and screenwriter from
Tupelo, Mississippi. Following the release of her first feature film ''
Mississippi Damned'' (2009), she was named one of '25 New Faces of Indie Film' by ''
Filmmaker
Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...
'' magazine and among the 'Top Forty Under 40' by ''
The Advocate''.
Mabry was named a
James Baldwin Fellow in Media by
United States Artists
United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards.
Mission
The organization' ...
.
Early life
Tina Mabry was born in
Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1978.
After seeing
Kimberly Peirce
Kimberly Ane Peirce (born September 8, 1967) is an American filmmaker, best known for her debut feature film, '' Boys Don't Cry'' (1999), which won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Hilary Swank's performance. Her second feature, '' Stop-Los ...
's ''
Boys Don't Cry'' and
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina Maria Prince-Bythewood (born June 10, 1969) is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for directing the films '' Love & Basketball'' (2000), ''Disappearing Acts'' (2000), '' The Secret Life of Bees'' (2008), '' Beyond the L ...
's ''
Love & Basketball'' while an undergrad at the
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment ...
, she determined she had to go into film and moved to Los Angeles. She received her
Masters of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.)
is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...
in Cinema and Television from the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
.
Career
Mabry began her film career with her short film ''Brooklyn's Bridge to Jordan'' (2005). In 2007, she penned the film ''
Itty Bitty Titty Committee''. The film was directed by
Jamie Babbit
Jamie Merill Babbit (born November 16, 1970) is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She directed the films '' But I'm a Cheerleader'', '' The Quiet'' and ''Itty Bitty Titty Committee''. She has also directed episodes of television pr ...
and premiered at the
57th Berlin International Film Festival.
Mabry made her feature film
directing debut in 2009 with ''
Mississippi Damned,'' which she also wrote and acknowledges draws from aspects of her own life.
She received a film stock grant from
Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
, which enabled her to film it. The film was successful on the festival circuit, winning top prizes at the
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
,
Outfest
Outfest is an LGBTQ-oriented nonprofit that produces two film festivals, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in Los Angeles. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the Frameline Film Festival ...
,
American Black Film Festival, and Urbanworld Film Festival.
It premiered on
Showtime in 2011 and is currently streaming on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
courtesy of
Ava DuVernay
Ava Marie DuVernay (; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, television producer and former film publicist. She is a recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a NAACP Image Award, a BAFTA Film Award and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee ...
's
ARRAY
An array is a systematic arrangement of similar objects, usually in rows and columns.
Things called an array include:
{{TOC right
Music
* In twelve-tone and serial composition, the presentation of simultaneous twelve-tone sets such that the ...
.
Mabry has written and directed two episodes of ''FutureStates'' produced by
ITVS
ITVS (Independent Television Service) is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries on public television through distribution by PBS and American Public Television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly seri ...
, including ''Ant'' starring
Guillermo Díaz.
In 2015, Mabry was hired as a producer, writer, and director on the
OWN
Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...
series ''
Queen Sugar
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...
'', created by
Ava DuVernay
Ava Marie DuVernay (; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, television producer and former film publicist. She is a recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a NAACP Image Award, a BAFTA Film Award and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee ...
and
Oprah Winfrey.
Personal life
See also
*
List of female film and television directors
This is a list of female film and television directors. Their works may include live action and/or animated features, shorts, documentaries, telemovies, TV programs, or videos.
A
* Jennifer Abbott (Canada)
* Sarah Abbott (Canada
* Jenn ...
*
List of lesbian filmmakers
This is a list of lesbian filmmakers. The names listed include directors, producers, and screenwriters of feature films, television movies, documentaries and short films; and have received coverage or been recognized in reliable, authoritative ...
*
List of LGBT-related films directed by women
This is a list of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender-related films that were directed by women. LGBT-themed films directed by women – especially, but not exclusively, lesbian-themed movies – are an important and distinct subset of the gen ...
References
External links
*
*
"Interview With “Mississippi Damned” Filmmakers Tina Mabry and Morgan Stiff,
Afterellen.com
AfterEllen (also known as AfterEllen.com) is an American culture website founded in 2002, with a focus on entertainment, interviews, reviews, and news of interest to the lesbian and bisexual women's community. The site covers pop culture and lifes ...
"The Preponderance of Flatscreen TVs Doesn't Mean LGBT Characters of Color Have to Flatline" ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mabry, Tina
1978 births
Living people
American film directors
American film producers
American television directors
American women film directors
American women film producers
American women screenwriters
African-American film directors
African-American film producers
African-American screenwriters
African-American television directors
English-language film directors
LGBT film directors
LGBT producers
LGBT screenwriters
American women television directors
American women television writers
American television writers
21st-century African-American people
LGBT television directors
21st-century African-American women
20th-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women
African-American women writers