Born and raised in West Philadelphia, seventeen-year-old filmmaker Lanaa Dantzler uplifts the power and spirit of community in her work.

Dantzler wrote, directed, and starred in her debut short film ‘Five Angry Black Girls’ (2023), following a group of Black teen girls in detention who have to learn the meaning of true freedom. Five Angry Black Girls is a recipient of the Local Selection Award from the Philadelphia Youth Film Festival 2024 and the award for Best Costume Design at the Black Girls Film Camp Awards Showcase (2023). The short was an official selection at the iconic Essence Film Festival (2024).

Her second film ‘The Jubilee Project’ (2023), is a short documentary about The Jubilee Publishing House in Philly, about a group of students who run their own publishing company, write books, all while being in elementary school.

Recently, Lanaa received a coaching award for her role in the production of the short film ‘As You Are’ (2024), which was accepted to PAFF 2025 (Pan African Film Festival).