Olu Gittens, Director/Filmmaker

Olu Gittens has been honing her skills as a director since high school, when she graduated cum laude with distinctions that included theater, having excelled directing a one-act play for her senior project. Olu studied modern culture and media at Brown University, eventually taking a film production course at the neighboring Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), which solidified her desire to direct as a career. Committed to her field, Olu earned her MFA in film production from Boston University’s College of Communication, where she also received a GenCorp merit scholarship. During that time, Olu wrote, directed and produced Lucky, a dramatic 27-minute film she directed with professional actors. Olu’s work on Lucky stood out for its sophisticated style and heartwarming touch, and garnered Olu awards in numerous film festivals across the country, including the New England Film and Video and the National Black Programming Consortium film festivals; the film was showcased at the Brooklyn Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Directors Guild of America. Lucky was later acquired by Los Angeles-based distributor Lead Dog Entertainment, and was selected to appear in the Global Cinema TV film series hosted by Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, Hand that Rocks the Cradle) for cable’s Black Family Channel.

A versatile director, Olu has worked in theater and multi-camera television in addition to film. She directed the play Babygirl, which was funded in part by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and she recently directed the original web series Choices, produced and broadcast on Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), the largest public access station in the country. As a director, Olu fosters an environment where actors can connect and take risks; she has a special skill for nurturing actors to take their work to the next level.

Olu is a member and former board member of Directors and Actors (DnA), a select group of directors inspired by the methodologies of Judith Weston who explore their craft through intensive workshops. She is a member of NYWIFT, New York Women in Film and Television. Olu was a panelist for the Brooklyn Arts Council Re-grant program, and she has received citations from the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office and the City Council of New York for her contribution to the arts through film. Olu is Director of the Chance Anderson comedy-thriller stage play Trust No One, and she is currently developing her feature film Baby of the Family, which has received early interest from a major film distributor.

"Olu weaves cinematic stories that are rich, full of life and inspiration. She is definitely a filmmaker for the ages and one to watch. Her work makes for head-nodding at the familiar and yet her stories are original, putting faces, all-too-often unseen, in a remarkable light."

Rahda Blank
Comedian, Playwright

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"Olu Gittens' work illuminates the beauty of African American culture in an honest, sensitive, and intelligent manner; a most welcome departure from what we've come to expect from Hollywood."

Jackie Alexander
Actor, Writer, Director

"Olu Gittens is an important African-American filmmaker. Not only does she love her people and her culture, she reflects this in her films. She has an innate understanding and respect for themes like Black love, the  wisdom of  the elders, the magic of the ancestors, the importance of family and  the power of community.  I look forward to seeing her evolve as a filmmaker and am excited about her work because it will inevitably offer the world an honest, loving look into the lives of Black folks."

Kerika Fields
Writer, Photographer, Philanthropist

"As a professional director of animated television series for 20 years, I understand the importance of being able to convey a story visually… Olu understands how to visually tell a story, how to direct actors to help tell the story… 'Lucky' is a well-crafted film and an emotionally touching [one]!
The reveal of 'Lucky', the second chance that life sometimes affords us, was handled with mature sophistication. I call these moments… a ‘Spielberbg moment’… meant as a compliment!
Olu’s distinct vision could be a wonderful source to be tapped."

Larry Jacobs
Animated Series Director
Babar, Caillou, Magic School Bus, Cyberchase