Rick Famuyiwa

Rick Famuyiwa (born June 18, 1973) is a Nigerian-American director, producer and screenwriter of productions including The Wood (1999), Brown Sugar (2002), Talk to Me (2007), and Dope (2015). 2Early life and education Famuyiwa grew up near Los Angeles, California in Inglewood. The son of Nigerian immigrants, Famuyiwa is a first-generation American. Reflecting on his time growing up in Inglewood, Famuyiwa recounts, "People come to L.A. and they expect to see a ghetto like the projects, but that's not the way it's set up. Inglewood, in particular, is the furthest thing from a ghetto. It's a middle-class community, but it's gotten a bad rap over the years...because of Grand Canyon and Pulp Fiction and other films."After high school, Famuyiwa attended the University of Southern California (USC) and double-majored in cinematic arts film & television production and cinematic arts critical studies. During his time at the university, Famuyiwa worked intimately with film professor Todd Boyd, who would later help write and produce his first feature film. In 1996, prior to graduation, Famuyiwa created a 12-minute short film entitled Blacktop Lingo that garnered critical positive feedback and led to his invitation to the Sundance Filmmaker's Institute. In 1997, during his time at the Sundance Director's Lab, Famuyiwa put the finishing touches on The Wood, his first feature film. In 1999, Famuyiwa married Glenita Mosley whom he met at the University of California, Los Angele