Gem Little

Gem Little, a Chicago native, is an award-winning writer/director/producer based in Los Angeles. Gem found her love of filmmaking when she was a professional dancer and choreographer, picking up a camera for the first time to capture dance films and studio performances. In 2018, Gem moved to Los Angeles to work for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority after graduating with an MA in urban planning. Her passion for building a better world as an urban planner lingers in her style of storytelling. Gem tends to write off-kilter genre stories that make us think differently about the dark-sides of human nature. Gem is an MFA graduate of the American Film Institute where she honed her craft as a storyteller. While there, she held internships with Charles King's MACRO and Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Filmworks. Gem is currently a showrunner's assistant to Patrick Somerville (STATION ELEVEN, MANIAC). Gem's more than a decade of experience has earned her recognition from TRIBECA, AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL’S HBO SHORT AWARD, TORONTO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, BRONZELENS, HARLEM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, and many others. Most recently, she received a $25,000 grant from the BLACK TV & FILM COLLECTIVE to write and produce her short film, PENS & PENCILS. The film has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award (2023) and has been acquired by HBO MAX (now streaming). Gem also produced WARNERMEDIA ONEFIFTY pilot, REMEMBER, alongside creator, Bernard David Jones. The series has been picked up by Berlanti Productions. Gem is also an activist, known for her work in community development, including starting Indiana’s state-wide program that helps justice-involved people start small businesses. While building community through filmmaking in LA, Gem is currently developing a slate of projects under her production company banner, NATURE VS NURTURE, alongside her partner, Nagee Brown.