Reginald Hudlin comes from a long lineage of black excellence. The son of two educators, Hudlin was raised in East St. Louis where his family would instill the value of education. After graduating from Assumption High School, Hudlin would go on to attend the prestigious Harvard University. While an undergraduate, Hudlin directed his thesis short film project titled ‘House Party,’ earning him numerous awards including one from the Black American Cinema Society. Hudlin graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies. After college, Hudlin and his brother would form a production company creating music for artists such as Heavy D, Jamaica Boys, and others. With his brother producing and Hudlin directing, the brothers would pioneer the modern black film movement. The feature-length 1990s film House Party and Boomerang would usher in a new era of young black culture.

As President of Entertainment for Black Entertainment Television (BET), Hudlin would shepherd some of the network’s most popular hits such as Sunday Best, BET Honors, BET Hip Hop Awards, and the documentary series American Gangster. He also wrote and executive produced for the animated TV series ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Boondocks’. Hudlin was also the producer of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, which earned him such accolades as an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and a Golden Globe. Continuing his directorial efforts, Hudlin would introduce the film Marshall, a legal thriller starring Chadwick Boseman, about the work of the first African American U.S. Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall. Hollywood would take notice of Hudlin’s expertise in production and call on him to executive produce award shows such as the 73rd Emmy Awards and 88th Annual Academy Awards, which subsequently earned him another Emmy nomination. In his more than 30-year career, Hudlin has written, produced, and directed some of the most influential feature films and TV series of our generation.