Dianne Houston

Last updated

Dianne Houston
Born (1954-07-22) July 22, 1954 (age 70)
Washington, D.C., USA
Occupation
  • Film Director
  • Television Director
  • Film Producer
  • Screenwriter
Alma mater Howard University
Years active1977-present
Children2

Dianne Houston is an African-American film director, producer and screenwriter. She is the first, and thus far only, African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for work she directed. [1]

Contents

Early life

Dianne Houston was born on July 22, 1954, to Jack, an Army psychologist, and Edith, a schoolteacher. She grew up in the Lamond Riggs neighborhood of Washington, D.C. [2]

She attended Woodrow Wilson High School, and was also a student at the Workshops for Careers in the Arts on the campus of George Washington University. [2]

When she was 16, she moved to New York City to become an actress. However, frustrated by the lack and caliber of roles for black women, she decided to write her own plays. [3] She later returned to Washington, D.C., in order to earn a fine arts degree in theater direction from Howard University. [2]

Houston then moved back to New York City, where she wrote and directed for the street performance troupe, CityKids Repertory Company. [2]

Early career

Houston's first play, The Fishermen, was produced in 1977. She directed it at the Back Alley Theater in Washington, D.C. The play went on to be performed at the East Bay Arts Center in Richmond, the Sojourner Truth Cultural Arts Center in Fort Worth, and the 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta. [4] [5]

Houston's writing eventually caught the attention of Warner Bros. The company sought her out to provide "doctoring" on one of its screenplays. [3]

In 1990, she became a writer and executive story editor for the Oprah Winfrey-produced series, Brewster Place, [6] a continuation of the miniseries, The Women of Brewster Place, based on the Gloria Naylor novel of the same name.

In 1992, Houston was commissioned to write "The International Sweethearts of Rhythm,” a screenplay about an all-women’s 1940's jazz band, inspired by an article the producers read about Rosetta Reitz in The Wall Street Journal . [7]

In 1994 Houston wrote the screenplay for "Override", a science fiction short film based on the short story, "Over the Long Haul," by Martha Soukup. The film, starring Emily Lloyd and Lou Diamond Phillips, was directed by Danny Glover.

Academy Award nomination

In 1995, Danny Glover introduced Houston to the Chanticleer Films program, which gave industry professionals their first chance to direct. She was one of four people selected to participate from 1,000 applicants. [6] Through the program, she directed the short film, Tuesday Morning Ride, starring Ruby Dee and Bill Cobbs.

The film, about an elderly couple questioning the current value of their lives, is based on the 1933 short story, "A Summer Tragedy", by Harlem Renaissance writer, Arna Bontemps. [8] Houston said of the film, "I have two elderly people with everything to live for and no way to do it in this society". [6]

In 1996, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Houston became the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Oscar for directing work, and was also the only African-American nominee out of nearly 170 total nominations. [9] [2]

Told by top publicists that "Black women are not a novelty," Houston was unable to obtain a publicist for the awards, and wound up doing her own publicity. [3] At the Academy Awards luncheon, the valet also refused to let her park her car, telling her that the parking area was "for nominees only." [6]

Jesse Jackson, pointing out Houston being the only nominee of color, called for a boycott of the Oscars and led a demonstration against Academy Award broadcaster, ABC, to protest the film industry's lack of racial inclusion in hiring and creative opportunities. [10] [11] At the time, blacks accounted for less than four percent of the Academy's 5,000 members, and only two percent of the Directors Guild, Writers Guild and Local 44 members, respectively. [12] [13] [14]

As of 2020, Houston remains the only black woman to have ever been nominated for an Oscar for directing. [1]

Later career

Houston has since directed for a variety of TV series, including Empire, NYPD Blue and Crossing Jordan .

As a screenwriter, she has written for Touchstone Pictures, Stephen Herek, and actors Danny Glover, Dustin Hoffman, Charles S. Dutton, Eddie Murphy, Missy Elliot, and Viola Davis.

Personal life

Houston moved to Los Angeles in 1993. [2] In 2005, after being diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer, she took a seven-year work hiatus to focus on her health. [15]

She is married with two children. [16] She is a lesbian. [17]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleWriterDirectorProducerNotes
2021The Melony Armstrong StoryYesYesYes(announced) [1]
2021 Seacole YesNoNo
2017 Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland NoYesNo TV movie
2016 Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le YesNoNoTV movie
2015 Runaway Island NoYesNo
2005 Knights of the South Bronx YesNoNoTV movie, Co-Writer
1996 Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story YesNoNoTV movie, Co-writer
1995Tuesday Morning RideYesYesYesShort Film
1994 Override YesNoNoTV Short Film

Television

Year(s)TitleWriterExecutive
Producer		DirectorNotes
2021-TBD Boley YesYesNoTV series, (announced) [18]
2017-2020 Empire YesYesYesDirected 4 episodes
2017 When We Rise YesNoNoWrote 1 Episode
2012 Single Ladies NoNoYesDirected 2 episodes
2004 Crossing Jordan NoNoYesDirected 1 Episode
2003 Soul Food NoNoYesDirected 1 Episode
2002 Strong Medicine NoNoYesDirected 1 Episode
2002 Presidio Med NoNoYesDirected 1 Episode
2002 The Education of Max Bickford YesYesNoProducer, Wrote 1 Episode
2002 NYPD Blue NoNoYesDirected 1 Episode
2000 City of Angels YesNoYesExecutive story editor, Directed 1 Episode

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arna Bontemps</span> American poet, novelist (1902–1973)

Arna Wendell Bontemps was an American poet, novelist and librarian, and a noted member of the Harlem Renaissance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">68th Academy Awards</span> Award ceremony for films of 1995

The 68th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1995 in the United States and took place on March 25, 1996, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 24 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by David Salzman and Quincy Jones and directed by Jeff Margolis. Actress Whoopi Goldberg hosted the show for the second time, having previously presided over the 66th ceremony in 1994. Three weeks earlier, in a ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 2, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Richard Dreyfuss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euzhan Palcy</span> French film director (born 1958)

Euzhan Palcy is a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. Her films are known to explore themes of race, gender, and politics, with an emphasis on the perpetuated effects of colonialism. Palcy's first feature film Sugar Cane Alley received numerous awards, including the César Award for Best First Feature Film. With A Dry White Season (1989), she became the first black female director to have a film produced by a major Hollywood studio, MGM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">64th Academy Awards</span> Award ceremony for films of 1991

The 64th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1991 in the United States and took place on March 30, 1992, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 23 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gil Cates and directed by Jeff Margolis. Actor Billy Crystal hosted the show for the third consecutive year. Three weeks earlier, in a ceremony held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on March 7, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Tom Hanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">56th Academy Awards</span> Award ceremony for films of 1983

The 56th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1983 and took place on April 9, 1984, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 22 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Jack Haley Jr. and directed by Marty Pasetta. Comedian and talk show emcee Johnny Carson hosted the show for the fifth time. He first presided over the 51st ceremony held in 1979 and last hosted the 54th ceremony held in 1982. Nine days earlier, in a ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on March 31, the Academy Scientific and Technical Awards were presented by hosts Joan Collins and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The 12th Academy Awards ceremony, held on February 29, 1940 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best in film for 1939 at a banquet in the Coconut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. It was hosted by Bob Hope, in his first of nineteen turns as host.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Wheeler Waring</span> American artist and educator

Laura Wheeler Waring was an American artist and educator, most renowned for her realistic portraits, landscapes, still-life, and well-known African American portraitures she made during the Harlem Renaissance. She was one of the few African American artists in France, a turning point of her career and profession where she attained widespread attention, exhibited in Paris, won awards, and spent the next 30 years teaching art at Cheyney University in Pennsylvania.

<i>Notes on a Scandal</i> (film) 2006 film by Richard Eyre

Notes on a Scandal is a 2006 British psychological drama thriller directed by Richard Eyre and produced by Robert Fox and Scott Rudin. Adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name by Zoë Heller, the screenplay was written by Patrick Marber. The film stars Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett and centres on a lonely veteran teacher who uncovers a fellow teacher's illicit affair with an underage student.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quvenzhané Wallis</span> American actress (born 2003)

Quvenzhané Wallis is an American actress and author. In 2012, she starred as Hushpuppy in the drama film Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the youngest actress to be nominated in the category, as well as the first person born in the 21st century nominated for an Oscar. She went on to appear in the Steve McQueen film 12 Years a Slave (2013). Wallis starred as Annie Bennett in the 2014 adaptation of Annie, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emerald Fennell</span> English actress, filmmaker, and writer

Emerald Lilly Fennell is an English actress, filmmaker, and writer. She has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Brooks</span> American actress (born 1989)

Danielle Brooks is an American actress and singer. Her breakthrough role was as prison inmate Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher Ground Productions</span> Media production company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama

Higher Ground Productions, also known simply as Higher Ground, is an American production company which was founded in 2018 by former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Amanda N'Duka (June 9, 2020). "Dianne Houston To Helm 'The Melony Armstrong Story' For Moving Picture Institute". Deadline.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jacqueline Trescott (March 24, 1996). "You are Dealing with a Three-Headed Beast". Washington Post.
  3. 1 2 3 Shari L. Carpenter (1997). "The Mouse that Roared: An Interview with Dianne Houston". Cinéaste. 23 (1). Cineaste Publishers, Inc.: 39–40. JSTOR   41688990.
  4. ↑ Gordon Raddue (December 3, 1982). "Dianne Houston's New Tragedy Plays at East Bay Arts Center". The Berkeley Gazette. Berkeley, California.
  5. ↑ Jeff Guinn (September 15, 1986). ""The Fishermen" Plunges into the Depths of Emotion". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Bruce Haring (March 4, 1997). "Oscars' minority viewpoint". USA Today.
  7. ↑ Dirk Sutro (April 12, 1992). "JAZZ:Ladies Sing the Blues:Rosetta Reitz single-handedly runs the only label devoted to keeping alive rare jazz and blues recordings by female artists". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ↑ "Arna Bontemps: Black poet, author, anthologist, librarian". Arna Bontemps African American Museum and Cultural Arts Center.
  9. ↑ Phil Rosenthal (March 26, 1996). "Tonight She Stands Alone: Dianne Houston is the Only Black Nominated for an Oscar". LA Daily News.
  10. ↑ "Jackson Leads Protest of Oscar Nominees". Associated Press. March 26, 1996.
  11. ↑ Greg Braxton (March 17, 1996). "Jackson Plans Oscar Protest". Los Angeles Times.
  12. ↑ "Will the Academy Awards Go for Art of Box Office?". Fort Worth, Texas: Fort Worth Star-Telegram. March 24, 1996.
  13. ↑ Pam Lambert (March 18, 1996). "Hollywood Blackout". People Magazine.
  14. ↑ Esther Breger (January 29, 2016). "The "Hollywood Blackout" at the 1996 Academy Awards: When "People" magazine took aim at diversity among the nominees, celebrities were unwilling to join the protest". The New Republic.
  15. ↑ David Raiklen (December 30, 2013). "Writing Musical Films". Scriptwriters Network.
  16. ↑ Michaela Angela Davis (May 29, 2017). "The Pioneering Black Woman Behind 'Searching For Neverland' Is The Only One Who Could Tell This Michael Jackson Story". Essence Magazine.
  17. ↑ "Isaiah: 'Grey's' Fired Wrong Man". June 22, 2007.
  18. ↑ Nellie Andreeva (October 4, 2019). "'Boley' Black Western Event Series In the Works At Universal TV From Dianne Houston & Rudy Langlais". Deadline.com.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.