Filmmaker, Erica Sutherlin, holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production from University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Currently, Ms. Sutherlin made her directorial debut with the Lifetime Movie network’s #1 Christmas movie, Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas. This is her second feature following Stratosphere, in which, she directed and co-wrote. Before her appointment as director, Ms. Sutherlin was selected for the Lifetime Network’s Director Shadow program and held a Fellowship with the Blackhouse Foundation Sundance Fellows program. Currently, she is the recipient of Facebook’s SEEN initiative for black filmmakers.
As a writer, during her time at USC, Ms. Sutherlin assisted in the development and writing of the multi-award winning Voodoo Macbeth, which was produced by Warner Brothers and University of Southern California. As a USC Showrunner, she developed, wrote and produced the sitcom, UnSchooled, with a wonderful team of writers. Ms. Sutherlin concluded her time at USC developing, writing and producing, in a writer’s room, the short-form limited dramatic series, SUGAR LAND.
As a poet and essayist, Ms. Sutherlin has published works in Building Womanist Coalitions: Writing and Teaching in the Spirit of Love and Hooked on the Art of Love: bell hooks and My Calling for Soul-Work, works by Dr. Gary Lemons, professor of English at University of South Florida.
Amongst her talents as a writer-director, Ms. Sutherlin, after receiving her Bachelors of Art degree in Theater Performance from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville became a theatrical director (stage), Equity actress, writer and arts educator who has performed and taught nationally and internationally.
She has received the Shriram Family Fellowship, Jean & Ruth Negulesco Endowment Fellowship, the Director’s Citation and the NSHSS Nobel Educator of Distinction Award. Her theatre company, The Space, was awarded Tampa Bay’s Theatre on the Rise. Ms. Sutherlin has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazine, radio shows and digital media source platforms for her performances, writing and directing accolades.
