Lynne Southerland

When Lynne Southerland came to Los Angeles, she did not think of herself as a trailblazer. She only knew she had a dream to create narratives like the ones that had entertained her throughout her childhood. Although her career began in Live-Action, working on such notables as THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN, THE NAKED GUN, and SISTER ACT 2, a fortuitous encounter would lead her into the world of animation as a producer, director, and developer of content. As the audience's appetite for more diverse narratives pricked at Hollywood's ears, Lynne joined with other pioneers-of-color to create important, new points of view on projects like BEBE'S KIDS for Paramount Pictures (featuring a predominantly black cast), and the acclaimed HBO series HAPPILY EVER AFTER: FAIRYTALES FOR EVERY CHILD, (a multicultural retelling of the Grimm fairytales). While producing direct-to-video movies for Disney, Lynne's talents as a storyteller opened a new opportunity - to co-direct MULAN 2, thereby making her the first African-American female director of an animated feature. Through that movie, and others, Lynne's love of adventure and travel was also satisfied, with collaborations at overseas studios in Japan, Australia, Israel, and Hong Kong. On the development side, Lynne has consulted for Disney's Direct-To-DVD division, as well as for Animation Lab, an Israeli based studio. Recently, she brought her unique perspective as the show-runner for animated content on Mattel's Monster High and Enchantimals brands. And, in her spare time, Lynne has written two fiction manuscripts aimed at the middle grade and young adult audiences, currently being shopped by her literary agent.