Neema Barnette is an American film director and producer, and the first African-American woman to direct a primetime sitcom.
20 Facts About Neema Barnette
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Neema Barnette, born on December 14,1949, to African parentage.
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Neema Barnette attended the High School For The Performing Arts, and began her career as a stage actress.
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Neema Barnette continued her education by attending The City College of New York earning a BA.
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Neema Barnette received a MFA from NYU School Of The Arts.
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At age 21, Neema Barnette directed the play The Blue Journey by OyamO, at Joseph Papp's Public Theater.
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In 1982, Neema Barnette co-produced the Emmy Award-winning After-School Special, "To Be a Man" along with Cliff Frazier, who was the writer and director.
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Neema Barnette has directed stage, episodic television, made for TV movies and feature films.
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Since 1997, Neema Barnette has worked for the Harlem Lite Productions.
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Neema Barnette has directed multiple seasons and episodes of a variety of television sitcoms including A Different World, The Cosby Show, Gilmore Girls, and 7th Heaven.
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In 1997, Neema Barnette directed the film Spirit Lost, a psychological thriller with a love triangle that includes a ghost.
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In 2003, Neema Barnette directed her first feature film, an adaptation of Civil Brand, she told the Los Angeles Times it was inspired by the original screenplay by Preston A Whitmore II and by an urban women's prison tale.
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Neema Barnette directed two episodes of Being Mary Jane: "Hot Seat" and "Don't Call It A Comeback".
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In 2009 Neema Barnette directed a gospel musical film, "Heaven Ain't Hard to Find," starring Kim Whitley, Cliff Powell and Reed McCants, where it previewed on platforms on HBO and BET.
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Neema Barnette is an active AFI alumnus and takes part on the panel of the AFI Independent Film committee.
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Neema Barnette has been a judge for the NAACP Feature Film Award and serves as an annual judge for the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.
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Neema Barnette owns her own production company called Harlem Girl Productions, whilst owning a production company titled Reel Rebel Productions with her husband Reed McCants.
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Neema Barnette is a part-time teacher, where she teaches aspiring students a directing course at UCLA and USC.
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Neema Barnette spends the other part of her time running a theatre company titled Live Theatre Gang with her husband and actor, Reed R McCants.
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Neema Barnette has won numerous awards, honors, and nominations, among them an Emmy Award for her afterschool special To Be a Man, two NAACP Image Awards, and a Sundance Film Festival Award.