Gina Prince-Bythewood

Gina Maria Prince-Bythewood (born June 10, 1969) is an esteemed American film director and screenwriter. Her professional career began as a TV writer across many shows in the 1990s, such as the CBS Schoolbreak Special that earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards nominations. She is celebrated for making her directorial debut with Love & Basketball (2000) that won her an Independent Spirit Award. Her other acclaimed works include Disappearing Acts (2000), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), and Beyond the Lights (2014). She earned fame as the first black woman to steer a major comic-book film, The Old Guard (2020). Prince-Bythewood also earned Best Director nominations at both the Critics' Choice Movie Awards and British Academy Film Awards, for The Woman King (2022).

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Gina was adopted by Bob Prince, a computer programmer, and Maria Prince, a nurse, when she was only 3 weeks old. She spent her early years in Pacific Grove, California and graduated from UCLA's film school in 1991, where she also was a competitive track runner. Gina developed the film Love & Basketball, based on her personal experiences, at the Sundance Institute's directing and writing lab. The film won 12 awards and grossed $27.7 million worldwide. In 2014, she directed Beyond the Lights, inspired by the song 'Blackbird' from Nina Simone, and featuring a character story loosely inspired by the lives of Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland, as well as her own adoption story. She is reputed for frequently exploring themes that reflect the experiences of women of color, countering cultural stereotypes, and showcasing their passion and ambition.