Ayoka Chenzira is an Emmy and NAACP nominated director. She made history as the first African American woman animator with Hair Piece: A Film for Nappyheaded People, now preserved in the National Film Registry. The film was inducted into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress. Alma’s Rainbow, developed at the Sundance Institute, placed her among the first Black women to write, produce, and direct a 35mm feature film. In 2019, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Film Archive undertook the restoration and preservation of her complete body of work, ensuring these pioneering films remain accessible for future generations.
As an episodic television director, Ayoka has directed episodes of Queen Sugar, Greenleaf, Delilah, Trinkets, A League of Their Own, Kindred, Dynasty, Beacon 23, and the upcoming Amazon limited series, Joseph of Egypt.
Ayoka is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Directors Guild of America. She is currently prepping her next feature film titled Olf about an African American man who becomes a perfumer.
For more information about Ayoka, visit her website.
