COURSE BLOG for GWSS 3307: Feminist Film/Media Studies (Fall 2007)

Neema Barnette was born December 14, 1949 and raised in Harlem. She attended New York's High School for the Performing Arts and NYU. She has dircted many episodes of television shows such as The Cosby Show, A Different World, 7th Heaven, and Gilmore Girls. She has directed eight television films and two feature films. Her 2002 film "Civil Brand" won best film at the American Black Film Festival. It also won the audience award and special jury prize at Urbanworld Film Festival. Civil Brand is a film based on a story by Preston A. Whitmore II. It is about a womens' prison that is corrupt. The women protest and eventually take over the prison. The film was made with a budget of only $500,00.

Neema Barnette was the first African American woman to get a three picture deal with Sony. She is also the first African American female sitcom director. She has her own production company called Harlem Lite Productions.

Finding information on this director was a little tricky. I started with Tressie Souders, the first African American female director in the United States and I couldn't even find a picture of her, let alone a biography/filmography. I decide, in the interest of time, to change my director. I chose Neema Barnette off of the "Sisters in Cinema" website. This assignment has made me realize how neglected women are inte the world of film.