Imani Davis

Imani Davis is film programmer at the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, and a producer and writer. Davis earned her Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies at The Ohio State University and a Master’s of Leadership in Creative Enterprises at Northwestern University. She has produced short films, web series and indie feature films, as well as programmed independent repertory screening series around the city of Chicago, and curated a digital platform for local filmmakers. At the American Cinematheque, a 501c3 nonprofit boasting over 1,500 film screenings a year, Imani curates, plans, and executes unique and engaging film events. She has worked to put on events with A-list filmmakers and talent such as Sofia Coppola, Sean Baker, Jordan Peele, Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Damien Chazelle, Christopher Nolan, and many more. Upon arrival to Los Angeles and starting her role with the AC, Imani is now the founder and lead programmer of the American Cinematheque's newest short film festival called PROOF, which is one of the first ever festivals completely dedicated to proof-of-concept shorts.

Her own personal practice as a producer and writer focuses heavily on reworking the modern Western film canon, with both diversity and quality at the forefront. She is co-founder of Chicago based media and events company Rm. 19 Productions, which is centered around uplifting women filmmakers and female focused stories. Her previous producing credits include: The short film, By A Thread which was the recipient of the Pentimenti Emerging Filmmakers Award, and is currently streaming on OTV; the episodic independent web series, Ghareeb mini series (recipient of the 2021 OTV fellowship) following a first-generation Egyptian-American family dealing with assimilation; feature film Year One, a coming of age story surrounding issues of mental health, belonging, and the struggles of freshman year during college, starring Elizabeth Yu (Avatar: The Last Airbender, May December) and Emma Raimi; feature film Roller Babiez, an adult coming of age story centered around rollerskating in Chicago.

Community is and always has been Imani's anchor. During her time in Chicago, she served as the Director of Programming for Mezcla Media Collective, a hub for women of color filmmakers in city. She pioneered a number of initiatives that are still ongoing to this day. Currently, outside of her role as a film programmer and producing, Imani co-founded Film Girlz Brunch, a monthly casual meetup of women in film in Los Angeles, designed to be accessible and a welcoming space. Film Girlz Brunch has already expanded and hosts regular events in Chicago as well!