Kimberly Elise

Award winning and celebrated actress Kimberly Elise, a performer whose eyes seem able to peer directly into the souls of audience members, has garnered notable critical acclaim for her roles in such features as Beloved, The Manchurian Candidate and Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Elise began acting professionally on the theatrical stages of her native town Minneapolis, a graduate of University of Minnesota with a degree in communications, she later attended the prestigious American Film Institute in Los Angeles as a directing fellow. Elise's feature debut was in the film Set It Off receiving critical acclaim for her performance. She followed up with and a Best Supporting Actress Cable Ace award for her work in The Ditchdigger's Daughters. Her performance in Beloved opposite Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover shortly thereafter garnered her several awards, including The Chicago Film Critic's Most Promising Actress Award, an NAACP Image Award nomination as well as the Best Supporting Actress Golden Satellite Award.

In 2000, Elise stepped into the lead for the made-for-television feature The Loretta Claiborne Story, playing the mentally and physically disabled athlete who made a name for herself by overcoming tremendous odds and becoming a competitor in the Special Olympics. Itching to return to the stage, Elise took on the role of Beneatha in A Raisin in the Sun at the Williamstown Theater Festival. Upon closing the play, lead roles in Bait with Jamie Foxx and Bojangles with Gregory Hines quickly followed. By the time she appeared in John Q, Elise had been singled out by many critics to be one of Hollywood's brightest young stars, and her strong performance in the film opposite Denzel Washington only helped to strengthen that sentiment and earn her two more NAACP Image Award nominations.

In 2004, Elise would once again appear with Washington in the Jonathon Demme remake The Manchurian Candidate. Elise would star in, the independent film Woman Thou Art Loosed, where her performance earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress and her fourth NAACP Image Award nomination. This was swiftly followed by Elise's powerhouse lead performance in, Diary of a Mad Black Woman a small independent film, opened at number one at the box office and went on to earn nearly 60 million dollars making Elise a rarity - an African American actress able to open a movie at number one.

Her performance in Diary garnered Elise the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Theatrical Film BET Comedy Award and the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture NAACP Image Award. The talented actress earned her second NAACP Best Actress Image Award for her portrayal of prosecutor Maureen Scofield on Jerry Bruckheimer's CBS television show Close To Home. In 2007 she starred opposite Terrence Howard in Lion's Gate film PRIDE as well as The Great Debaters where she starred opposite Forest Whitaker with Denzel Washington.

Elise starred opposite Cuba Gooding Jr in the TNT presentation of Gifted Hands-The Ben Carson Story directed by Thomas Carter earning her third NAACP Image Award for Best Actress. In 2011 Elise starred in the film adaptation of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf. In Summer 2012, she brought to life the legendary cowgirl tage Coach Mary in Hallmark Channel's film Hannah's Law and completed the psychological thriller Event 15. Elise began production and star in Bounce her new scripted dramedy series for VH1 Networks.

Tribeca Film