Dee Rees
Keynote Speaker: Award-Winning Writer & Director Known for "Pariah"
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Dee Rees Biography
An alumna of New York University’s graduate film program and a 2008 Sundance Screenwriting and Directing Lab Fellow, Dee Rees is a writer-director who has made a significant impact on American and LGBT cinema. Her first full-length film, a documentary titled Eventual Salvation, aired on the Sundance Channel in 2009. Her subsequent feature film, Pariah, premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, exploring complex themes of religion, politics, and socioeconomic class within a Black family. Pariah was honored with the Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition “Excellence in Cinematography” Award (Bradford Young) and picked up by Focus Features. The film was awarded the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards, the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Director, and the Outstanding Independent Motion Picture Award at the NAACP Image Awards, among others.
Before embarking on the production of the full-feature film, Rees initially took the first act of the Pariah script and directed it as a short film for her graduate thesis film project at New York University (NYU). In 2007, the short film played at 40 film festivals around the world, winning numerous accolades, including the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Rees first met Spike Lee at NYU as a professor, and he quickly became an active mentor to her. She served as an intern on Lee’s films Inside Man and When the Levees Broke and Lee was an executive producer on the feature version of Pariah.
In 2015, Rees directed the critically acclaimed film Bessie, starring Queen Latifah as the iconic singer Bessie Smith. The film won four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie. Rees' writing and directing brilliance earned her nominations for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Directing. Following Bessie's success, Rees wrote and directed the film Mudbound in 2017, which told the story of two families in the Mississippi Delta in the 1940s. Mudbound was bought for $12.5 million by Netflix, marking the highest purchase of the Sundance Film Festival that year. The film's screenplay, co-written by Rees and Virgil Williams, led to Rees becoming the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Rees continued her successful career by directing the film The Last Thing He Wanted in 2020, based on the novel by Joan Didion, starring Anne Hathaway and Willem Dafoe. She also directed her TV episodes for "Empire" and "When We Rise," alongside episodes of "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams." Currently, Rees is set to write and direct the MGM feature film adaptation of George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" and is directing multiple episodes of the Apple TV+ war miniseries "Masters of the Air." In June 2021, she was announced as the first African-American woman to direct a Criterion film. Additionally, she's been developing her upcoming film, The Kyd's Exquisite Follies, a musical fantasy about a young musician in search of stardom.
Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Rees is strongly influenced by her own experiences as a Black lesbian filmmaker. Her work often explores themes of sexuality and the experiences of Black women. Rees is currently based in New York, married to the poet and writer Sarah M. Broom.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dee Rees and other top speakers and celebrities.
Dee Rees Videos
How do I book Dee Rees to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dee Rees for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dee Rees, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dee Rees or any other speaker of your choice.
How much does it cost to book Dee Rees for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Dee Rees, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $30,000 - $50,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dee Rees, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Dee Rees speak about?
Dee Rees is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Television & Film, Black Heritage, Acting, Diversity & Inclusion, LGBTQ and Social Activism.
Where does Dee Rees travel from?
Dee Rees generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
Who is the agent for Dee Rees?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Dee Rees for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dee Rees for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dee Rees or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
Dee Rees is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Television & Film, Black Heritage and Acting Speakers. The estimated speaking fee range to book Dee Rees for live events is $30,000 - $50,000. Please contact us for virtual event fees. Dee Rees generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Ava DuVernay, Julie Dash and Janelle Monáe. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dee Rees for an upcoming event.
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Dee Rees Videos
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Dee Rees News
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Dee Rees on Becoming the First Black American Woman Featured in the Criterion Collection With ‘Pariah’
Filmmaker Dee Rees made history on June 29 when her debut feature “Pariah” joined the Criterion Collection, making the Oscar and Emmy nominee the first Black American woman to have her work included. Before Rees, Euzhan Palcy, who is from Martinique, was the lone Black woman to have a film (1989’s “A Dry White Season”) selected.
FAQS
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How do I book Dee Rees to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dee Rees for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dee Rees, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dee Rees or any other speaker of your choice. -
How much does it cost to book Dee Rees for a speaking engagement?
Speaking fees for Dee Rees, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a live event is $30,000 - $50,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dee Rees, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Dee Rees speak about?
Dee Rees is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Television & Film, Black Heritage, Acting, Diversity & Inclusion, LGBTQ and Social Activism. -
Where does Dee Rees travel from?
Dee Rees generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. -
Who is the agent for Dee Rees?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Dee Rees for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dee Rees for your next private or corporate function. -
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?
AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dee Rees or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?
If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
