Nnegest Likké

Nnegest Likké is an American film director, screenwriter and producer from Oakland. Born in the Bay Area and raised in Oakland and San Francisco, she is the daughter of an African-American Civil Rights Activists and a well-known Ethiopian freedom fighter. Many of her works explore themes of cross-cultural relationships between black Americans and Africans, and she is a pioneer of the blended-culture genre. Specializing in comedy, romance, provocative drama and social-issue genres, Nnegest Likké's films are thought-provoking, social impact-films that examine complex issues in society and culture. Her film awards include Best Diaspora Film at the 2016 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for " Ben and Ara " which she directed. Her 2019 international romantic drama, Everything But A Man won the Audience Choice Award at the Pan African Film Festival and the movie debuted at #1 on Netflix in Africa and on AMC's ALLBLK channel in the USA. In 2023, the Netflix Original film, A Sunday Affair, which she was the lead writer on debuted at #1 on Netflix Africa and was the most viewed Nigerian film on the platform in the first half of 2023. Nnegest is one of the first women of color to write and direct a movie distributed by a major Hollywood studio. Her directing credits include Fox Searchlight's cult-classic romantic-comedy Phat Girlz, the multi-award-winning indie love dramas Ben & Ara and Everything But A Man, and two documentary features.