John Singleton

Producer, director and screenwriter John Singleton exploded onto the scene in 1991 with his first film BOYZ N THE HOOD, a tough, intelligent, plain-speaking look at friends in gang-ridden South Central L.A. The film earned him Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director, making him the first African-American (and the youngest) filmmaker ever to do so.

Singleton has won numerous awards such as the LAFCA New Generation Award in 1991, the MTV Movie Award for Best New Filmmaker in 1992, the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best New Director (BOYZ N THE HOOD) in 1991, and finally the ShoWest Awards for Screenwriter of the Year, and the Special Award for Directorial Debut of the Year, 1992.

Singleton directed 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS staring Paul Walker, R&B singer Tyrese, Eve Mendes and Cole Hauser. He also wrote, produced and directed BABY BOY, starring Tyrese, Ving Rhames, Snoop Dogg, and newcomer Taraji P. Henson; the film has received four NAACP nominations. He also wrote, produced, and directed SHAFT, starring Samuel Jackson. He directed ROSEWOOD starring Jon Voight and Ving Rhames. He wrote, produced, and directed HIGHER LEARNING starring Omar Epps and Laurence Fishburne, and he wrote, produced, and directed POETIC JUSTICE starring Janet Jackson.

While Singleton was attending the Filmic Writing Program at USC he won three writing awards from the university, which led to a contract with Creative Artists Agency during his sophomore year. He was also a recipient of the John Nicholson Award in 1989 and 1990 and the Robert Riskin Award in 1989.

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