Justin Simien

Justin Simien (born May 7, 1983)[1] is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. His first feature film, Dear White People, won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.[2] Simien has also been named to Variety's 2013 "10 Directors to Watch" list.[3]

Justin Simien
Justin Simien speaking at Sundance Film Festival
Born (1983-05-07) May 7, 1983
Houston, Texas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materChapman University
OccupationFilm director, screenwriter
AwardsU.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent

Early life

Simien was born on May 7, 1983 in Houston, Texas. He is the son of Anna Simien.[1] Raised in the metro area, he attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. After graduation he studied film at Chapman University in California. Simien worked a number of jobs in Los Angeles prior to directing his first feature film, including social media manager at Sony Television, publicity assistant at Focus Features, and publicity coordinator at Paramount Pictures.[4]

Career

Simien directed three short films prior to Dear White People: Rings (2006), My Women: Inst Msgs (2009), and Inst Msgs (Instant Messages) (2009).[5]

Simien started work on what would become Dear White People in 2006,[6] with inspiration for the script coming from his feelings while attending the predominantly white Chapman University.[7] In 2012, he created a concept trailer using his tax refund as funding.[4] With the concept trailer as a centerpiece, he launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise $25,000 but he got an overwhelming response and managed to raise $40,000 instead.[8]

The film premiered in-competition in the US Dramatic Category at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014.[9][10] The film began its theatrical release in the United States on October 17, 2014.[11] In its opening weekend the film grossed $344,000 in only eleven locations for an impressive $31,273 per theatre average.[12]

Dear White People won Simien the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival[2] and the "Audience Award" at the 2014 San Francisco International Film Festival.[13] Simien has also been named to Variety's 2013 "10 Directors to Watch" list.[3]

On May 5, 2016, Lionsgate announced a deal to produce a Dear White People television series based on the film and distributed through Netflix with the show's first ten episodes to be written by Simien.[14] The show was released in April 2017 to critical acclaim. In June 2017 the show was renewed for a second season, which was released in May 2018 to critical acclaim. In June 2018 the show was renewed for a third season.

Influences

While Simien has been compared to director Spike Lee, Simien says he does not welcome this comparison because he does not want to be "the next Spike Lee" but instead "the next Justin Simien" (although he does credit Lee's Do the Right Thing with "showing him that it's possible to make these types of black films").[7] Simien also counts among his influences Woody Allen and Ingmar Bergman.[7]

Personal life

At the 2014 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Dear White People, Simien publicly announced he is gay.[6][7]

Filmography[15]

Film
Year Film Credited as Role Notes
2006 Rings Producer, Director, Writer, Editor
2009 My Women: Inst Msgs Director, Writer, Editor
2009 INST MSGS (Instant Messages) Co-producer, Director, Writer, Editor, Actor
2010 Head Producer
2011 Save Me Editor, Gaffer
2010 The Goldfish Editor
2014 Dear White People Producer, Director, Writer
2014 Caught a Ghost: Get Your Life Director
2015 I Can't With You Actor Marshall
2020 Bad Hair Director, writer Reggie Watson

Television
Year Show Credited as Role Notes
2017–present Dear White People Creator, Producer, Director, Writer
gollark: Viewdenied.
gollark: I'm not egglocked. I just want hatchlings.
gollark: > explicitly says "GIVE ME HATCHLINGS"> gets offer of two eggs
gollark: My strategy is to just fog as problems occur, which seems to work surprisingly well, probably mostly because of my lack of valuable stuff.
gollark: Because nobody *wants* to jump through hoops to kind of prevent viewbombing slightly?

References
  1. "Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (database on-line)". Ancestry.com. 2005. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  2. "2014 Sundance Film Festival Announces Feature Film Awards". sundance.org. January 26, 2014. Archived from the original on January 29, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  3. "10 Directors to Watch: Justin Simien Puts 'White People' in Perspective". Variety. December 17, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  4. "With 'Dear White People,' Justin Simien wants to start conversations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  5. "Justin Simien Biography". 40th Seattle International Film Festival. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  6. "'Dear White People' director Justin Simien on what it means to be black — and 'black'". The Washington Post. October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  7. "Dear White People: Art Imitating Life's Racism". The Root. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  8. "'Dear White People:' From Indiewire Project of the Year to Sundance Film Festival". Indiewire. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  9. "'Dear White People,' 'Fishing Without Nets' Will World Premiere At Sundance 2014 (Lineup Announced)". Indiewire. Archived from the original on February 6, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  10. "'Dear White People' to premiere at Sundance". Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  11. "Sundance Award winner Dear White People releases first full trailer". Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  12. Subers, Ray (October 19, 2014). "Weekend Report: 'Fury' Topples 'Gone Girl,' 'Birdman' Soars in Limited Release". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 22, 2014. Sundance hit Dear White People opened to $344,000 at 11 locations, which translates to a very strong $31,273 per-theater average.
  13. "New Orleans Film Festival 2014". The Times-Picayune. September 19, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  14. Lawler, Richard (May 5, 2016). "Netflix orders a series based on the movie 'Dear White People'". Engadget.
  15. "Justin Simien". IMDb. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
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