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Photo of Neema Barnette

Neema Barnette

Director, Producer, WriterBorn December 14, 1949 (75 years)
Neema Barnette (born December 14, 1949) is an American film director. She was the first African-American woman to direct a primetime sitcom and also the first African-American woman to get a three-picture deal with Sony. Barnette has won several awards, including a Peabody Award, an Emmy Award, a Sundance Film Festival Award, the Sojourner Truth Award at Cannes, and two NAACP Image Awards. She has directed over fifty hours of network television, ten made-for-TV movies, and four feature films. Barnette also serves as executive producer for Black History Mini Docs, a series of videos that are ninety seconds or less featuring the stories of notable African-Americans throughout history. Her work primarily focuses on challenging the stereotypes of Black people that are depicted in entertainment.

In 1990, she founded Harlem Girl Productions. She is an active American Film Institute alumni and was selected as one of ten artists to judge its 2002 Best Film Awards. Additionally, she is part of the Directors Guild of America's African American Steering Committee, a member of the Black Filmmakers Foundation, and serves as an annual judge for the Pan African Film Festival. She occasionally teaches various film courses, both virtually and at universities in California. Together with her husband, Barnette also owns Reel Rebel Productions and runs Live Theatre Gang, a theater and performance company for young adults.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Civil Brand
  • CBS Schoolbreak Special
  • Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story
  • King of Stage: The Woodie King Jr. Story

Known For

  • Marvel's Luke Cage
  • The Cosby Show
  • Raising Dion
  • Gilmore Girls
  • Bosch
  • A Different World
  • The Good Cop (2018)
  • Blindspot
  • Genius (2017)
  • Naomi
  • Black Lightning
  • Harlem
  • Super Sweet 16: The Movie
  • Jane the Virgin
  • All You've Got
  • Being Mary Jane
  • 7th Heaven
  • Queen Sugar
  • Civil Brand
  • The Equalizer (2021)
  • Midnight, Texas
  • Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day
  • Paradise Lost (2020)
  • Reasonable Doubt (2022)

Filmography

2022
2022
Kingdom Business (TV Series)
2022
Naomi (TV Series)
2021
Grand Crew (TV Series)
2021
Harlem (TV Series)
2021
2020
2019
Raising Dion (TV Series)
2019
All Rise (TV Series)
2019
Ambitions (TV Series)
2018
2018
Love Is___ (TV Series)
2018
Black Lightning (TV Series)
2017
Midnight, Texas (TV Series)
2017
Genius (2017) (TV Series)
2017
The Breaks (TV Series)
2016
Marvel's Luke Cage (TV Series)
2016
Queen Sugar (TV Series)
2015
Blindspot (TV Series)
2014
Jane the Virgin (TV Series)
2014
Bosch (TV Series)
2013
Being Mary Jane (TV Series)
2012
2010
2007
2006
2005
Miracle's Boys (TV Series)
2002
2000
Gilmore Girls (TV Series)
1999
The PJs (TV Series)
1997
1996
7th Heaven (TV Series)
1996
1996
1995
Deadly Games (TV Series)
1994
1994
1993
1993
Diagnosis Murder (TV Series)
1993
The Sinbad Show (TV Series)
1993
1992
1991
The Royal Family (TV Series)
1988
China Beach (TV Series)
1987
A Different World (TV Series)
1987
Hooperman (TV Series)
1987
Frank's Place (TV Series)
1985
1984
The Cosby Show (TV Series)
1984
1980
American Playhouse (TV Series)
1980
It's a Living (TV Series)

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