Jan 6, 1968

Los Angeles, California, USA

John Daniel Singleton, won several awards as a film student at USC which in turn led
to a contract with the powerful Creative Artists Agency. John Singleton's assured
directorial debut "Boyz N the Hood" (1991) received major studio backing, a $6
million budget and a showcase at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival. An urgent, powerful
coming-of-age tale, the film found a spark of hope amid its bleak, violence-ridden
South Central Los Angeles setting and became one of the top-grossing features ever... ... (read more...)
made by a black filmmaker. Almost unanimously praised by the critics, the film
earned Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. The latter
nomination made history as Singleton became not only the first black but also the
youngest filmmaker cited in the category.