Jamal Joseph has written and directed for Black Starz, HBO, Fox TV, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros., and A&E. His produced screenplays include Ali: An American Hero (Fox), New York Undercover (Fox), Knights of the South Bronx (A&E), and The Many Trials of Tammy B. (Nickelodeon). He wrote and directed Drive By: A Love Story, Da Zone, and the docudrama Hughes Dreams Harlem for Black Starz. He recently finished the screenplay Panther Baby for Focus Features, which he will also direct, based on his true-life experiences as one of the youngest members of the Black Panther Party.
Joseph is the author of Tupac, Legacy (Simon & Schuster). He has also written the script for a Broadway musical based on the life of Tupac Shakur. He is the founder and artistic director of IMPACT, a Harlem-based youth theatre company, and executive director of New Heritage Films, a not-for-profit organization that provides training and opportunities for minority filmmakers.
2011
Writers Guild of America, East: OnWriting ONLINE
Joseph moderated this vibrant discussion on screenwriting between Oscar-nominated screenwriters Terry George and Tony Gilroy....▶
2010
Percy Sutton: A Man for All Seasons
Joseph premiered this documentary about community activist Percy Sutton at the Artivist Film Festival....▶
2008
IMPACT Repertory Theatre
“Raise it Up,” a song written and performed by the theater Joseph founded, received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song....▶
2007
Tupac Shakur Legacy
Jamal Joseph, the newly appointed acting chair of Columbia University’s School of the Arts film division....▶