Nana Adwoa Frimpong

Nana Adwoa Frimpong is a Ghanaian-Canadian director, writer, and creative producer who works across narrative and documentary film to illuminate stories of women and people of color. Nana’s passion for storytelling is marked by her past community organizing work around accessibility rights for students. Her advocacy led to the implementation of the first genderless bathrooms in the University of Toronto Scarborough’s 58-year-old history, the publication of the first online print journal, MAYA, to honor women storytellers on campus, headlining a woman’s storytelling conference with Founder and Executive Director of the Me Too Movement, Tarana Burke, and hosting the annual 2017 TEDxUTSC conference as the first woman to do so. In her latest short documentary, Healing in Color, which premiered on Magic Johnson’s AspireTV and PBS as part of the annual Fine Cut Festival, Nana follows a group of Black women exploring healing through visual art. In her work, Nana remains committed to using art as a vessel for truth-telling and self-articulation – an invitation she hopes compels others to tell their stories too.

Nana frequently moderates Q+A’s through USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and IMAX, having spoken with filmmakers such as Kevin Feige, Sam Pollard, Garrett Bradley, Miranda July, and several others. She most recently served as a Peabody Awards Screening Committee Member in the documentary branch and was a George Lucas Scholar at USC where she completed her MFA in Film and Television Production. Upon graduating, Nana was awarded The Order of Arête, USC’s highest honor for her notable contribution to the university, academic discipline, and community.