DeMane Davis
Producer & Director, Netflix Series: "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker"
For over two decades DeMane Davis was a pessimist. Today she’s a Television Director, Filmmaker, Writer and Producer whose most recent work is Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker. The limited four-part Netflix TV series stars Octavia Spencer, Blair Underwood & Tiffany Haddish. DeMane produced the series and directed the last two episodes.
Her TV career began the day Ava DuVernay (WHEN THEY SEE US, 13th, A WRINKLE IN TIME) slipped into her DMs and invited her to direct her groundbreaking series, Queen Sugar (OWN.) DeMane helmed two episodes and was asked back as Producing Director the next season. Since then, she has directed episodes of How To Get Away With Murder, Station 19, For The People (ABC), The Red Line (CBS) and YOU (Netflix.) She has had the honor of working with Cicely Tyson, Henry G. Saunders and Viola Davis multiple times.
In addition to TV, DeMane has written and directed two independent features. Both premiered In Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival and internationally at Edinburgh. Her film LIFT starred Kerry Washington (Scandal, Little Fires Everywhere) in her first leading role. LIFT was selected for the prestigious Sundance Director’s and Screenwriter’s Labs and revered with two Spirit Award nominations before it was purchased by Showtime. It’s now streaming on Amazon.
DeMane made both of those films while still working in advertising. Her career as a Copywriter and Creative Director spans over twenty-five years and counts Nike, Snapple, Reebok, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Converse and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s very first anti-smoking efforts as clients. The award winning multi-hyphenate has directed over seventy commercials, is a Voice Over Talent and, now and forever, an optimist.
For over two decades DeMane Davis was a pessimist. Today she’s a Television Director, Filmmaker, Writer and Producer whose most recent work is Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker. The limited four-part Netflix TV series stars Octavia Spencer, Blair Underwood & Tiffany Haddish. DeMane produced the series and directed the last two episodes.
Her TV career began the day Ava DuVernay (WHEN THEY SEE US, 13th, A WRINKLE IN TIME) slipped into her DMs and invited her to direct her groundbreaking series, Queen Sugar (OWN.) DeMane helmed two episodes and was asked back as Producing Director the next season. Since then, she has directed episodes of How To Get Away With Murder, Station 19, For The People (ABC), The Red Line (CBS) and YOU (Netflix.) She has had the honor of working with Cicely Tyson, Henry G. Saunders and Viola Davis multiple times.
In addition to TV, DeMane has written and directed two independent features. Both premiered In Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival and internationally at Edinburgh. Her film LIFT starred Kerry Washington (Scandal, Little Fires Everywhere) in her first leading role. LIFT was selected for the prestigious Sundance Director’s and Screenwriter’s Labs and revered with two Spirit Award nominations before it was purchased by Showtime. It’s now streaming on Amazon.
DeMane made both of those films while still working in advertising. Her career as a Copywriter and Creative Director spans over twenty-five years and counts Nike, Snapple, Reebok, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Converse and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s very first anti-smoking efforts as clients. The award winning multi-hyphenate has directed over seventy commercials, is a Voice Over Talent and, now and forever, an optimist.
