Kelley Kali is a native of Los Angeles, CA, Howard University & USC School of Cinematic Arts alumna, and has directed, written, and produced award-winning films in Belize, Haiti, China, and locally in the USA.

Right out of Howard U, Kelley received the opportunity to work at National Geographic Television and Film, where she gained TV experience that led her to become the only woman selected to direct the first Creole dramatic TV series in the country of Belize, Noh Matta Wat. She later won the Paul Robeson Award for her work.

She was selected to work with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s New Form Digital to develop her web series The Discovery of Dit Dodson, which went on to compete in top-tier festivals across the nation. In 2018, Kelley wrote and directed Lalo’s House (executive produced by Garcelle Beauvais and Lisa L. Wilson), which went on to win the 45th Annual Student Academy Award and was in consideration for the 91st Annual Academy Awards. Kelley also won the Directors Guild of America Student Filmmaker Award, the KCET Fine Cut Award, Shadow & Act’s “Rising Award,” the “Programmers Award” at the Oscar-qualifying Pan African Film Festival, the Jury Award at the “Diversity in Cannes Showcase’’ sponsored by Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions, and several others.

Her work has been featured at the American Black Film Festival as one of the top Emerging Directors and at the prestigious Telluride Film Festival.

In 2021, she completed directing, writing, pro