Kiara C. Jones is an acclaimed filmmaker and director celebrated for her ability to craft diverse, human-centered stories with depth and authenticity. Her directorial debut, Christmas Wedding Baby, earned the Directors Guild of America Grand Jury Award and was distributed on Netflix and BET.

In the documentary space, A Woman on the Outside (2024) premiered at SXSW, won Best Documentary at the American Black Film Festival, and was featured on PBS, while 21 and Done explores the challenges faced by youth aging out of foster care. Kiara’s collaboration with Oscar-winning writer Geoffrey Fletcher won the Bombay Sapphire Imagination Series at TriBeCa, and her producing credits include She’s Lost Control (Independent Spirit Award nominee) and Premature (Sundance premiere, Independent Spirit “Someone to Watch” Award).

Her dedication to the craft has earned her numerous accolades, including the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship, the NYC Women’s Fund Grant, and recognition as a Writers Guild of America East and FilmNation Screenwriting Fellow, mentored by Scott Frank. She is also an IFP/Blackhouse/HBO Producers Lab Fellow and has brought her storytelling expertise to A&E’s The First 48.

Born to a Bronx-Brooklyn love story and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Kiara discovered her passion for storytelling through poetry and short stories. After the loss of her father, she served in the United States Air Force, developing skills in IT and broadcasting before earning a BA from UNLV and an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied alongside filmmakers Shaka King and Chloé Zhao.

As founder of Cultivated Films LLC, Kiara continues to create compelling stories that inspire connection and elevate underrepresented voices.