Amma Asante MBE is a barrier-breaking and multi-award winning writer and director. Upon winning a BAFTA for her debut film, A Way of Life (2004), she became the first black director to win a BAFTA Film Award for writing and directing a feature film. The film earned multiple further wins or nominations for Amma personally worldwide, including the BAFTA Cymru award for Best Director, the FIPRESCI Prize at Miami Film Festival, the UK Film Talent Award at the London Film Festival and Promising Newcomer nominations for Asante at the Evening Standard British Film Awards and London Critics Circle Film Awards.
Her next directed film, the multi-award winning Belle (2013), drew further critical acclaim, going on to become one of the highest grossing independent films of the year and saw Amma named one of CNN’s Leading Women of 2014, as well as being named by Variety as one of their 10 Directors To Watch. Upon the release of the yet-again multi-award winning A United Kingdom (2016), Amma became the first Black director ever to open the BFI London Film Festival.
In 2017 she was named an MBE by Queen Elizabeth in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List, for Services to Film as a Writer and Director.
Further film and television work includes directing two episodes of global hit series Mrs. America (FX) and The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu), as well as writing and directing the harrowing Where Hands Touch (2018).
Amma is a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences and has twice been elected to the council of The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). She has been bestowed with an Honorary Fellowship by the National Film and Television School, is an Honorary Associate of the London Film School and is Chancellor of Norwich University of Arts.
Amma is currently directing Constantin Film's hotly-anticipated series Smilla's Sense of Snow and has more confidential work in prep.
