Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham is an actor, writer, director, producer, and philanthropist.  She starred in and served as executive producer, writer, and director for HBO’s hit series GIRLS, which wrapped after six critically acclaimed seasons last spring. She has been nominated for eight Emmy Awards and has won two Golden Globes, including Best Actress for her work on Girls. In 2010, she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for her feature “Tiny Furniture,” which she also starred in and directed. In 2013, Dunham made history as the first woman to win a DGA award in the Best TV Comedy Director category.

In September 2015, Lena and her producing partner Jenni Konner launched LENNY LETTER, an award winning newsletter which features original editorial content focusing on politics, art and culture, style, health and wellness, and sex and relationships (LennyLetter.com).  That same year, Lena launched her podcast Women of the Hour, which was recognized with a Webby Award.
An accomplished author, Dunham’s book of personal essays, Not That Kind of Girl, was published by Random House in September 2014 and was a #1 NY Times best seller. She is also a frequent contributor to The New Yorker and Glamour Magazine.
In addition to premiering the pilot of the Lenny docuseries at 2018 Sundance Film Festival,, Lena continues her involvement with Lenny as the newsletter readership grows and the brand expands into audio and video storytelling.

Her production company with Jenni Konner. A Casual Romance has signed on to produce E. Lockhart’s New York Times’ best-seller “Genuine Fraud” into a feature film for Lionsgate. Lena has a number of film, theater and literary projects in the works for late 2018 and 2019.

Also an activist and advocate for women’s rights, Lena devotes an extensive amount of her time to philanthropic causes such as Planned Parenthood, Girls Write Now, and GEMS: Girls Education and Mentoring Services.

Dunham graduated from Oberlin College in 2008.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]