Niva Dorell's career was ignitied when Robert Zemeckis and John Singleton, two renowned industry professionals, chose to mentor her USC thesis script "Kings", a thought-provoking tale about a Black corporate attorney struggling to reconcile with his urban roots.
The film, "Kings", went on to win numerous awards at film festivals and competitions, including the prestigious Showtime Black Filmmakers Grant, which is annually bestowed upon a minority filmmaker. Subsequently, "Kings" aired on Showtime and was included on Afrocentricity, a DVD compilation featuring up-and-coming minority directors, available at Tower Records and Amazon.com.
Niva's subsequent film, "Milk and Honey", was produced for Showtime and tells the poignant story of a Black soldier and an Israeli woman who meet and spend a day together in Texas, circa 1953. Inspired by Niva's parents, "Milk and Honey" was hailed as a great success by Showtime, where it aired for over a year. The film also made the festival circuit, culminating with its international debut at the Jerusalem International Film Festival.
Niva was then hired to direct and rewrite the 2-hour Pilot "What About Your Friends", starring Keisha Knight Pulliam and Oscar winner Louis Gossett, Jr. The urban teen drama aired twice on UPN (primetime) to rave national reviews. Although it was not picked up for series, Ms. Pulliam was subsequently nominated for a NAACP Best Actress Image Award.
Earlier this year, Niva "shadowed" on an episode of TV show "The Unit" (co-executive produced by Niva's mentor, David Mamet).
Niva's most recent directorial effort is "Skid Row", a feature documentary about LA's Skid Row area, featuring Pras Michel from The Fugees living undercover as a homeless person. "Skid Row" will be released theatrically in August 2007 by Screen Media Films.
