Cheryl Dunye

Directing

Cheryl Dunye

Born May 13, 1966 · Monrovia, Liberia (age 60)

Cheryl Dunye (born May 13, 1966) is a film director, producer, screenwriter, editor and actress. Dunye is a lesbian and her work often concerns themes of race, sexuality, and gender, particularly issues relating to black lesbians.

Known For

I Love BoostersI Love Boosters · 2026
I Love Boosters
6.12026
MovieComedyScience Fiction
A group of shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven by stealing from her stores and reselling them at a lower price — what they call 'fashion-forward philanthropy'.
Rainbow GirlsRainbow Girls · 2025
Rainbow Girls
2025
MovieDramaComedy
As San Francisco’s tech boom gentrifies their city, three young black trans women decide to take matters into their own hands, staging an audacious heist targeting the city’s most exclusive luxury brands.
The Watermelon WomanThe Watermelon Woman · 1997
The Watermelon Woman
6.91997
MovieDramaComedy
A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.
My Baby's DaddyMy Baby's Daddy · 2004
My Baby's Daddy
4.62004
MovieComedy
A trio of young men are forced to grow up quick when their girlfriends all become pregnant around the same time.
Stranger InsideStranger Inside · 2001
Stranger Inside
4.52001
MovieCrimeDrama
After a stint in a juvenile detention center, Treasure is transferred to an adult prison where her mother, whom she has never met, is also imprisoned. Before long, Treasure encounters Brownie, a lifer and gang leader. Brownie reveals that she is Treasure's mother, and takes the girl under her wing, protecting her from the dangers of hardcore prison life. But some women in Brownie's gang resent Treasure's presence, leading to violent conflict.
Valencia: The Movie/SValencia: The Movie/S · 2013
Valencia: The Movie/S
0.52013
MovieComedyDrama
Valencia is a collaboration between a national community of queer filmmakers to adapt the underground classic memoir into a kaleidoscopic vision of San Francisco's Mission District in the early 90s during the rise of a punk lesbian diaspora told through the experiences of Michelle, a single rootless twenty-something searching for sex and love, drugs and adventure.
Mommy Is ComingMommy Is Coming · 2012
Mommy Is Coming
3.42012
MovieComedyRomance
With things growing a bit stale in the bedroom, lesbian couple Claudia and Dylan agree to seek sexual experiences outside their relationship. Dylan discovers new pleasures at a sex club, while Claudia, in drag as Claude, finds a surprising partner.
The OwlsThe Owls · 2010
The Owls
3.52010
MovieDramaCrime
Two middle-aged lesbian couples accidentally kill a younger girl and decide to cover it up. But their crime comes back to haunt them when an unexpected stranger appears in their lives, bringing tension and discord.

Filmography

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The Early Works of Cheryl DunyeThe Early Works of Cheryl Dunye
The Early Works of Cheryl Dunye
Movie
GREETINGS FROM AFRICA (Narrative, 1994) Cheryl, playing herself, humorously experience the mysteries of lesbian dating in the 90s / THE POTLUCK AND THE PASSION (Experimental Narrative, 1993) Sparks fly as racial, sexual and social politics intermingle at a lesbian potluck / AN UNTITLED PORTRAIT (Video Montage, 1993) Dunye’s relationship with her brother is examined in this mixture of appropriated film footage, super 8mm home movies & Dunye’s special brand of humor. / VANILLA SEX (Experimental Documentary, 1992)Is it who you do, or what you do? / SHE DON’T FADE (Experimental Narrative, 1991) A self-reflexive look at the sexuality of a young black lesbian / JANINE (Experimental Documentary, 1990) The story of a black lesbian’s relationship with a white, upper middle class high school girl

Director

The Early Works of Cheryl DunyeThe Early Works of Cheryl Dunye
The Early Works of Cheryl Dunye
Movie
GREETINGS FROM AFRICA (Narrative, 1994) Cheryl, playing herself, humorously experience the mysteries of lesbian dating in the 90s / THE POTLUCK AND THE PASSION (Experimental Narrative, 1993) Sparks fly as racial, sexual and social politics intermingle at a lesbian potluck / AN UNTITLED PORTRAIT (Video Montage, 1993) Dunye’s relationship with her brother is examined in this mixture of appropriated film footage, super 8mm home movies & Dunye’s special brand of humor. / VANILLA SEX (Experimental Documentary, 1992)Is it who you do, or what you do? / SHE DON’T FADE (Experimental Narrative, 1991) A self-reflexive look at the sexuality of a young black lesbian / JANINE (Experimental Documentary, 1990) The story of a black lesbian’s relationship with a white, upper middle class high school girl

Director