Nia DaCosta

Nia DaCosta began her directorial journey with the film "Little Woods," which received the Nora Ephron Prize for Female Filmmakers at the Tribeca Film Festival. Her talents also extended to the small screen, as evidenced by her directorial contributions to two episodes of the British thriller series "Top Boy" in 2019. DaCosta's skills were further recognized when she became the first Black female director to debut at No. 1 at the U.S. box office with the horror film "Candyman". Working with notable filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Steve McQueen, and Steven Soderbergh, DaCosta demonstrated her ability to collaborate and learn from industry veterans.

DaCosta continued to push boundaries with her directorial work on "The Marvels," which not only became the highest-grossing film directed by a Black woman but also marked her as the youngest director and the first African American woman to direct a Marvel film. Her directorial repertoire expanded with the creation of the 8-episode web series "Ghost Tape" and her collaboration with Jordan Peele on "Candyman" (2021).

DaCosta's creative storytelling continued with her written and directed adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play "Hedda Gabler," titled "Hedda" and released in October 2025. She further showcased her directorial prowess with "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," part of the 28 Days Later film series, released in January 2026. DaCosta's work on "Candyman" earned her a nomination at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture and the Progressive Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Rome Film Festival in 2025. Through these achievements, DaCosta has solidified her place as a groundbreaking filmmaker in the horror genre.