Anu Valia

Anu Valia
Born
Indiana
EducationNew York University
Occupation(s)director, producer, writer, actor
Years active2011–present
Notable workLucia, Before and After, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
WebsiteOfficial website

Anu Valia is an American television and film director, writer, actress, and producer best known for writing and directing the short film Lucia, Before and After, which won the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award.[1]

Early life and education

Anu Valia was born to a Sikh family in Indiana and grew up in the Greater Chicago area, specifically in the town of Schererville, Indiana.[2][3] Valia studied dance from age 5, and in high school organized a charity dance performance to support people with HIV/AIDS.[2] After graduating from Morgan Park Academy in 2006, Valia went to school New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.[2][4]

Career

From 2011 to 2013, Valia served as a producer at CollegeHumor, appearing as herself in several videos and earning a nomination for a Webby Award.[5][6]

Valia wrote and directed the short film Lucia, Before and After, about a young woman waiting to have an abortion in Texas. The film won the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Award.[7] In 2018, Valia joined the Los Angeles production company Majority, which works to create opportunities for female directors.[4]

She has directed episodes of shows including Never Have I Ever, Mixed-ish, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Love Life, A.P. Bio, And Just Like That..., The Big Door Prize and The Afterparty.[5] Additionally, Valia served as a story producer for the television adaptation of My Brother, My Brother and Me.[5]

In July 2020, Valia, who is of Indian descent, was announced as a mentor in the inaugural year of a mentorship program connecting aspiring talent of South Asian descent in the television and film industry with actors, writers, and leaders who could mentor them in Hollywood.[8]

In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced that Valia will be directing episodes of the Disney+ streaming series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a 2022 release.[9]

References

  1. ^ "2017 Sundance Film Festival Awards: Global Independent Creativity Reaches New Heights". Sundance Institute. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Taubeneck, Anne (May 12, 2006). "How do you get guys to join a dance production?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  3. ^ "Anu Kaur Valia Makes Her Way In Comedy World". SikhNet. October 2, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Filmmakers Anu Valia, Anjali Nayar Earn Spots on Director Roster of Production Company 'Majority'". IndiaWest. September 19, 2018. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Anu Valia". IMDb.
  6. ^ "Anu Valia". Free The Bid. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  7. ^ Welk, Brian (August 11, 2017). "ShortList 2017: 'Lucia, Before and After' Reveals the Woman Behind an Abortion (Video)". The Wrap.
  8. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (July 22, 2020). "Twentieth Television's Reena Singh And Hillman Grad's Rishi Rajani Launch 'The Salon' South Asian Mentorship Program". Deadline. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  9. ^ Paige, Rachel (December 10, 2020). "Tatiana Maslany Stars in new 'She-Hulk' Comedy Series Coming to Disney+". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved December 10, 2020.


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