Neema Barnette (born December 14, 1949) is an American film director. She was the first African-American woman to direct a primetime sitcom and also the first African-American woman to get a three-picture deal with Sony. Barnette has won several awards, including a Peabody Award, an Emmy Award, a Sundance Film Festival Award, the Sojourner Truth Award at Cannes, and two NAACP Image Awards. She has directed over fifty hours of network television, ten made-for-TV movies, and four feature films. Barnette also serves as executive producer for Black History Mini Docs, a series of videos that are ninety seconds or less featuring the stories of notable African-Americans throughout history. Her work primarily focuses on challenging the stereotypes of Black people that are depicted in entertainment. In 1990, she founded Harlem Girl Productions. She is an active American Film Institute alumni and was selected as one of ten artists to judge its 2002 Best Film Awards. Additionally, she is part of the Directors Guild of America's African American Steering Committee, a member of the Black Filmmakers Foundation, and serves as an annual judge for the Pan African Film Festival. She occasionally teaches various film courses, both virtually and at universities in California. Together with her husband, Barnette also owns Reel Rebel Productions and runs Live Theatre Gang, a theater and performance company for young adults.
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 14, 1949 (76)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Director, also producer
- 26 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
What are Neema Barnette's films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 1 · Earnest 6
A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 3
Grounded 7 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 3
Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0
Casual 5 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3
Resolved 5 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet4
- Ambiguous3
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Neema Barnette's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Neema Barnette's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
40 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Naomi(2022)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows
Grand Crew(2021)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
Harlem(2021)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
The Equalizer(2021)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows
Paradise Lost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Raising Dion(2019)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
All Rise(2019)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
Ambitions(2019)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows
The Good Cop(2018)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
Love Is___ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Black Lightning(2018)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows
Midnight, Texas(2017)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
Luke Cage(2016)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows
Queen Sugar(2016)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows
Blindspot(2015)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
Bosch(2014)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Jane the Virgin(2014)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all filmsHeaven Ain't Hard to Find (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
All You've Got(2006)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Miracle's Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Civil Brand(2002)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Gilmore Girls(2000)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
The PJs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Spirit Lost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Close to Danger(1997)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
7th Heaven(1996)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Deadly Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Sin and Redemption (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Scattered Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Diagnosis Murder(1993)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
Better Off Dead. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Different Worlds: An Interracial Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Zora is My Name! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Sky Captain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
The Cosby Show(1984)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Career shape
A full career of 38 titles from 1982 to 2022.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Neema Barnette's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 28th percentile, the median of the 6 of 7 with a score; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 23rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up4
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th6
- Below 25th7
Shape of the crowd
8 of their 25 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Divisive5
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser8
- Mixed8
Reviewers score the atmosphere 53/100 and the pacing 41/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Neema Barnette work with?
People who share at least 2 of Neema Barnette's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Reed R. McCants shares the most, 4.
Actors
- Reed R. McCantsShared titles: King of Stage: The Woodie King Jr. Story (2018), Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day (2012), Civil Brand (2002), Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story (1996)See all 4 shared titles with Reed R. McCants
- N'Bushe WrightShared titles: Civil Brand (2002), Close to Danger (1997)See all 2 shared titles with N'Bushe Wright
Cinematographers and editors
- David BeattyShared titles: Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day (2012), All You've Got (2006), Civil Brand (2002), Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story (1996)See all 4 shared titles with David Beatty
- Edward J. PeiShared titles: Super Sweet 16: The Movie (2007), Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Edward J. Pei
Producers
- Jeff ClanaganShared titles: Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day (2012), Civil Brand (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Jeff Clanagan
- Leslie BelzbergShared titles: Super Sweet 16: The Movie (2007), All You've Got (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Leslie Belzberg
- Loretha C. JonesShared titles: Super Sweet 16: The Movie (2007), All You've Got (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Loretha C. Jones