The product of Jamaican and Ghanaian parents, Ama Anane grew up in two of the wildest places on earth: Papua New Guinea and Las Vegas. Her scripts, poetry, and standup explore the identities and experiences that divide us and make us whole. Ama is currently a participant in the NBCUniversal TV Writing Program and was recently staffed as a writer on Dig, a new show co-created by Mike Schur and Amy Poehler and starring Amy Poehler and Hugh Laurie.

Named one of the Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2025, Ama made her directorial debut with the short dramatic rom-com Cottonmouth that premiered at the New Filmmaker LA Festival. Selected from more than 4,000 short film submissions, Cottonmouth was one of three films nominated for both Best First-Time Female Director and Best Romantic Comedy at Indie ShortFest. She is currently working on her second short dramatic romcom called Smile, Roxy! The short will be financed and executive produced by Level Forward, in partnership with Population Media Center, as part of a film series called Mother Justice.

Ama is also the founder of Good Influence Consulting, which works with nonprofits, philanthropy and public institutions. She has directed stakeholder engagement efforts for the 2020 U.S. Census in California, the Hilton Foundation, the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and UCLA. A graduate of Emerson College and Columbia University, Ama serves on the governing boards of Communities in Schools and the Moonshot Initiative. She lives in Los Angeles with her wife and three daughters.