The Directors:

Filmmakers, Hanifah Walidah and Olive Demetrius are both partners in art and in life. They first met new years of 2006 after a series of coincidental run ins. Within just 3 months they were collaborating on Hanifah’s music video Make A Move which debuted on LOGO’s Click List January 2007. Make a Move set a precedent by featuring an all woman cast and crew of women of color both gay and straight and became the catalyst behind U People. Hanifah the writer, musician and director and Olive, writer the cinematographer together have innovatively garnered a strong community around one film with their site www.iloveupeople.com. Forthcoming projects include the U People Story Archive, comedic series “Funny People” and a documentary short “Azizah” about Black-American Moslem girls who are now self-identified as gay women.

Hanifah Walidah began her film career from a labor of love while maintaining an online site, www.suckaforlife.com that featured a multitude of documentary, experimental and narrative film shorts; all of which were written, directed, edited and scored by Hanifah. She directed and edited a 3-minute short “True Grits” within a 24-hour period as apart of the NYC Midnight Run where it placed Best Of. She co-wrote  “White Lies Black Sheep” from James Spooner, filmmaker of the internationally awarded documentary Afropunk. Hanifah has co-produced, wrote and directed music videos Make A move and Do You Mind (U People Soundtrack) and the film U People.

Olive Demetrius’ interest in film began as a love for communication.  Her recent projects have included two music videos for recording artist Hanifah Walidah, for the singles Make A Move and Do You Mind. Her most recent work with the group BFE Sound System is a document of their inaugural tour in this configuration of the band. She traveled with them during their thirteen day, four country European tour. Olive Demetrius has worked for the Lucy Awards program that recognizes outstanding achievements in photography. Her work included conducting interviews of outstanding individuals such as Jerry Schatzberg, Susan Calhoun-Moss, Charlie Moss, Barney Melsky all to honor advertising legend Howard Zeiff.  She has worked at LOGO/VIACOM Networks as camera operator for the New Now Next shoot featuring Annie Lenox, The Big Gay Sketch Show and a Cadillac promo. Olive Demetrius’ work in documentary includes shooting on location in Caracas, Venezuela during the filming of Bringing Venezuela Back. This piece focused on the World Festival of Youth and Students.

U People Documentary Advisory Committee

Ntozake Shange, Author, For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide. Jasmyne Cannick, Community Activist, NBJC, Producer of Noah’s Arc Marquita Thomas, Producer of Serrafemme Music Fest, Los Angeles Tim’m West, Author, Poet, Activist Katina Parker, GLADD Keith Boykin, Author & Activist Lisa Moore, CEO, Red Bone Press Debra Wilson, Producer of Oakland International LGBT Film Fest, InsideBlast and Jengotv.com Pam Penniston, ED, Queer Cultural Center, San Francisco