labrown26@Nul.org

Lamonia Deanne Brown is a globally influential film executive, festival programmer, and content strategist who plays a pivotal role in discovering and supporting emerging voices, with a particular focus on storytellers of color. Lamonia most recently created the renowned ESSENCE Film Festival. At HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery, Lamonia was an instrumental part of the team that built the mini-studio WarnerMedia 150, which produced the Oscar-winning “Drive My Car” (2022). While there, she worked with a slate of 22 filmmakers, championing projects that have gone on to garner critical acclaim, as well as managing sponsorships for over 40 identity- based film festivals. She also held leadership positions at the American Black Film Festival and New York Women in Film & Television. In 2025, she launched the Cultural Connections Film Festival in Washington, D.C. Since 2020, she has served as co-chair of the Women of Color Caucus NonFiction Committee for the Writers Guild of America East.