DIRECTORS

Pratibha Parmar is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, director, and producer with a proven track record of bringing compelling stories into the mainstream media, stories that resonate beyond the margins. Pratibha has worked across multiple genres - documentaries, short dramas, music videos, a narrative feature and directed an episode of Ava DuVernay’s flagship series “Queen Sugar.” Her work has appeared in a variety of broadcast and theatrical platforms. A globally recognized filmmaker and human rights activist Pratibha’s films, “Warrior Marks” and “Khush” helped gain much needed rights for women and girls as well as contributing to the visibility of marginalized LGBT communities. Her accomplishments have been recognized with multiple awards.

In 2017 Pratibha was awarded the ICON award presented by Bagari London Indian Film Festival in Association with the British Film Institute for Outstanding Contribution to Indian and World Cinema. In 2016 she was included in the BBC’s list of 100 inspirational and influential women. Pratibha is currently is in post-production on her hybrid feature doc, “My Name Is Andrea” about the feminist writer Andrea Dworkin. The film features Amandla Stenberg, Ashley Judd, Andrea Riseborough, Soko and Christine Lahti. Pratibha is enthusiastically focused on directing more scripted episodic television and was selected for the NBC Female Forward Program. She will be directing an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” in Spring 2022. Parmar is a member of the Directors Guild of America and a voting member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

Elisabeth Rohm just wrapped her third feature for Lifetime, GIRL IN ROOM 13, starring Anne Heche. It premiered in September and was presented at TCA. Her second original feature that she directed for Lifetime entitled SWITCHED BEFORE BIRTH, starring Justina Machado premiered last fall to critical acclaim. The first film she directed was GIRL IN THE BASEMENT, starring Judd Nelson, which was also for Lifetime and debuted in 2021 to much critical attention.

As an actress, Elisabeth has a long list of film credits including BOMBSHELL for Lionsgate and director Jay Roach, Ted Melfi's THE STARLING opposite Melissa McCarthy, and David O. Russell's JOY and AMERICAN HUSTLE. She has been nominated for Emmy’s for LAW & ORDER and won SAG Best Ensemble for AMERICAN HUSTLE. Elisabeth is most known for her television work starring on shows, such as LAW & ORDER, HEROES, JANE THE VIRGIN and many more. Elisabeth is a published author of a book called Baby Steps. She’s an active philanthropist and one of the founders of her thought forum called The Respect Project.

Featured in Free the Work’s Creator Spotlight/Directors to Watch, Baltimore native Nicole Taylor-Roberts is a writer-director and an Emmy-nominated producer. A Black woman with a multi-cultural heritage, Taylor-Roberts is passionate about elevating and amplifying authentic portrayals of female characters for the large and small screen. She has an affinity for drama, action, sci-fi and suspense. She’s a director with a strong lyrical sensibility, that she credits to her background growing up in a musical family.

Her latest film, “Go to Bed, Raymond!,” for 20th Digital Studio's Season 3 of Bite-Sized Halloween, is coming to Hulu. Taylor-Roberts got her start in the commercials and music videos pace in the early 2000s. Since then, she has written and directed many award-winning short films that have screened in numerous festivals worldwide. A film of note, “410 Stamped,” starring Eden Duncan-Smith (See You Yesterday), still enjoys a successful festival run.

Her buzzy feature script, “A Girl from Haiti,” won several awards and was one of four projects selected by the Almanack Screenwriters (formerly known as Nantucket Screenwriters Colony). She was one of four female writer-directors in the Inaugural cohort chosen to direct for BET Her’s anthology series ‘The Waiting Room.’ Her episode, “The Battle of Lexi Smith,” featured Keshia Knight-Pulliam and Jean Elie.

Taylor-Roberts participated in Ryan Murphy’s Half initiative, AFI DWW, the Sony Television Diverse Directors Program, and the Commercial Diverse Directors Mentorship 50/50 Program. For several years, she wrote and produced political ads. She graduated from Northwestern University RTVF Program and Columbia University School of the Arts MFA Film Program.