Chinonye Chukwu

Chinonye Chukwu is a Nigerian-American filmmaker best known for writing and directing Clemency, winner of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival's U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic, and for directing the 2022 feature Till.

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About Chinonye Chukwu

Profile information current to 2026-08-19.

Nigeria / United States · Filmmaker, Film director, Screenwriter

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Known for: Feature-film directing; Screenwriting
Country: Nigeria / United States

Filmmaker
Film director
Screenwriter

At a glance

Chukwu wrote and directed Clemency, which received the 2019 Sundance Film Festival's U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic.
She directed Till, a feature centered on Mamie Till-Mobley and her response to the lynching of Emmett Till.
She founded Pens to Pictures, a filmmaking collaborative that supports incarcerated women in making short films.

Background and training

African Film Festival, Inc. describes Chukwu as Nigerian-born and Alaskan-raised. Temple University lists her as a 2010 MFA graduate of its School of Theater, Film and Media Arts. In 2012, she completed her first narrative feature, alaskaLand.

Feature-film work

Chukwu's wider recognition includes Clemency, which she wrote and directed and which received the 2019 Sundance Film Festival's U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. She later directed Till, a feature focused on Mamie Till-Mobley that was presented at the 60th New York Film Festival in 2022.

Expanding access to filmmaking

Chukwu founded Pens to Pictures, a collaborative supporting incarcerated women in making short films. The Princess Grace Foundation-USA also records her receipt of the Princess Grace Statue Award in 2019.

Timeline

2010 Temple University lists Chukwu as an MFA ’10 alumna of its School of Theater, Film and Media Arts.
2012 Completed her first narrative feature, alaskaLand.
2019 Received the Sundance Film Festival's U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic for Clemency, for which Sundance credits her as director and screenwriter.
2019 Received the Princess Grace Statue Award.
2022 Directed Till, which was presented at the 60th New York Film Festival.

Additional verified details

Current context

A 2025 report stated that Chukwu would direct and co-adapt a film version of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman with Tony Kushner, with Jeffrey Wright and Octavia Spencer announced to star. This records an announced attachment only and does not confirm production, completion, release timing, or the project's status as of August 19, 2026.

Biographical facts

African Film Festival, Inc. describes Chukwu as Nigerian-born and Alaskan-raised.
Princess Grace Foundation-USA identifies Chukwu as the founder of Pens to Pictures, a filmmaking collaborative supporting incarcerated women in making short films.