Charles Burnett

Charles Burnett is an Oscar-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer. Born in Mississippi and raised in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, he sees his duty as an artist to illuminate the Black experience in America. He is a MacArthur genius grant recipient and a Guggenheim Fellow. His thesis film, Killer of Sheep—a work he wrote, directed, produced, photographed, and edited— is considered one of the best films of all time by critics, audiences, and historians alike. Killer of Sheep ranks as #43 in the decennial Sight and Sound poll that lists the Greatest Films of All Time. The Library of Congress selected the feature film as one of the first 50 films on the National Film Registry and the National Society of Film Critics selected as one of the “100 Essential Films” of all time. Killer of Sheep, recently restored by Milestone Films and the Criterion Collection, and his sophomore feature My Brother’s Wedding are foundational works of American cinema.