Phyllis Bancroft

Award-winning filmmaker Phyllis Bancroft has been successful as a writer/director and producer in several disciplines, including film, television, theater, and the Internet. She is the recipient of BET Network's prestigious 'Lens on Talent" award. With the $100,000 award she co-wrote, produced and directed BURNED, an emotionally wrenching film that tells the story of a female fire fighter and Air Force veteran who returns from the Iraq war suffering from PTSD. BURNED is scheduled to air on BET summer 2011. Previous to BURNED Ms. Bancroft produced SPENT, a heart breaking story of a woman whose consumerism leads to tragedy. The film is the recipient of numerous honors and has been screened at more than 30 film festivals. Honors include a "Best Short Film" award, being screened at Lionsgate's annual screening series ("Expose Your Shorts"), and being named a Finalist at the USA Film Festival. In addition to producing a total of five short films Phyllis has also produced the web series ERNIE'S GIRLS, a comedic look at modern marriage and fatherhood through the life of 'Ernie,' a husband and father who is teeming with testosterone and drowning in a sea of estrogen. Hilarious and moving, it has been the recipient of several honors, including the 2010 L.A Web Series award for "Outstanding Achievement" and being an official selection of the 2010 Pan African Film Festival. Ms. Bancroft has studied at some of the most prestigious cultural institutions, including the AFI, where she received an MFA in Producing; Columbia University, where she studied Advanced Film Production with 'Indy' legend James Schamus (Focus Features); and Lincoln Center's Directors Lab. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, she began her entertainment career with acting studies at New York's prestigious Circle in the Square and Circle Rep theaters. Her first directing credits were in theater. She has directed over 25 plays, many of which she developed and work-shopped at venues that included Playwrights Horizons, the Smithsonian Institute, and the Harold Clurman Theater. As an artist her goal is to use the various media, including film, television, theater, and the Internet to entertain audiences while shedding light on topics close to her heart.