Laurie J. Gardiner is an award-winning Writer, Director, and Musician.
She obtained an an MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and a
B.S. in Music Education & Performance from Oakwood University.
She is a member of the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) and
The American Guild of Musical Artists.

She currently works as a Directing Educator with George Lucas and
Mellody Hobson at Skywalker Ranch and sings as a Chorister with LA Opera.
Past roles include positions at Paramount+, Fox, GRB Studios, and
Big City TV, where she contributed as an associate producer,
story editor, and executive.

In 2021, Laurie launched Laurelwood Studios and released her debut short
film Remedial, which screened at over 40 festivals including HollyShorts,
LA Shorts, Pan African Film Festival, Martha’s Vineyard African American
Film Festival, and BronzeLens, earning multiple awards before
securing distribution on Omeleto and Aspire TV.

Her writing has been recognized by the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowships
in Screenwriting, Austin Film Festival, Humanitas, CineStory Foundation,
PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, Essence Film Festival, and more.
She won the Children’s Resilience in Disability Stories Award Grant in 2025
for her feature screenplay “Remedial” in collaboration with Shine
Global and ReelAbilities Film Festival.

She was a 2024 directing mentee in the Ryan Murphy Half Initiative on 9-1-1
and selected as a director in the ColorCreative Find Your People Program.