DeMane Davis
Birth date1967
Birth placeRoxbury, Massachusetts
Websitedemanedavis.com

DeMane Davis (born c. 1968)[1] is an American film and television director and producer.

Originally from Roxbury, Massachusetts, Davis's first production was 1997's Black & White & Red All Over, which she co-wrote with Khari Streeter.[2][3]

Lift (2001)

In 2001, Davis and Streeter worked together again, co-directing the crime-thriller Lift, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[4] Lift starred Kerry Washington as a young woman who works in a department store but who is also a professional shoplifter—a so-called "booster".[3][1] Davis says that she based the character on real-life boosters in her hometown, including her sister-in-law.[1] Rapper Sticky Fingaz also appeared in the film.[1]

Davis and Streeter received a $250,000 grant from Sundance to produce the film, and found a small production company in Boston which provided the remainder of the $3 million budget.[1] Lift was later broadcast on Showtime and BET and won the Grand Jury prize at the 2001 Urbanworld Film Festival.[4][5]

Television (2018–present)

After her first two films found some success, she moved from Boston to New York, where she worked for an agency writing and directing advertisements.[6][7] Davis finally got the opportunity to direct longer pieces again when Ava DuVernay asked her to direct an episode of DuVernay's 2016–2022 television drama, Queen Sugar.[7] This opportunity led to her producing and directing for other episodic television productions, including How to Get Away With Murder, Station 19, The Red Line, and You.[8][6] She also directed two of the four episodes of the Netflix limited series Self Made about the life of Madam C. J. Walker.[6]

In 2021 Davis signed a multi-year, exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television Group as co-executive producer with DuVernay on the superhero drama, Naomi.[9][10] In 2022, she directed the pilot of NBC's Found.[11] As of 2025 she is the director and executive producer of Brilliant Minds.[12]

References

  1. ^ Waxman, Sharon (28 January 2001). "All Over the Map in Utah". Washington Post
  2. ^ Gates, Marya E. (2022). "For DeMane Davis, Seeing Is Believing". Emmy Magazine. No. 1. Television Academy.
  3. ^ Harvey, Dennis (30 January 2001). "Lift". Variety
  4. ^ Sandell, Scott (26 June 2002). "Forceful 'Lift' Has Stolen Moments". Los Angeles Times
  5. ^ Lyons, Charles (8 August 2001). "'Kane,' 'Lift' nab top Urbanworld kudos". Variety
  6. ^ Faraone, Chris (11 March 2020). "Self-made: The Dedication of Boston Director Demane Davis". Dig Boston
  7. ^ Edgers, Geoff (30 November 2022). "How 'Queen Sugar' changed the lives of its female directors". Washington Post
  8. ^ Harris, Raquelle (1 February 2023). "21 Black Female Directors, Producers & Writers to Celebrate". Parade
  9. ^ Petski, Denise (23 August 2021). "DeMane Davis Inks Overall Deal With Warner Bros. Television Group; Joins 'Naomi' As Co-EP". Deadline Hollywood
  10. ^ Zorrilla, Mónica Marie (2021-08-23). "DeMane Davis Signs Warner Bros. TV Deal, Joins CW’s ‘Naomi’ as Co-Executive Producer". Variety. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  11. ^ White, Peter (April 4, 2022). "DeMane Davis To Direct NBC Pilot 'Found' From Nkechi Okoro Carroll & Berlanti Productions". Deadline Hollywood
  12. ^ "Director/Executive Producer DeMane Davis Delves Into "Brilliant Minds"". SHOOTonline. 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2026-04-10.