Janeen “Neen” Talbott is a screenwriter, designer, and director with a penchant for historical fiction, mystical realism, fantasy, and futurism. Her character-driven pieces are rooted in her love for Black heroes real and imagined, the nuanced worlds in which they live, and a desire to see them adequately represented, cherished, and lauded in film and television. 

The first-generation Jamaican-American graduated from the Florida A&M University with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. After which, she decided to use her skills to serve others by joining the United States Peace Corps. Teaching English and mentoring youth in the hills of southwest Ethiopia afforded her a unique experience steeped in isolation, integration, and cultural exchange. There, she learned firsthand the impact film had on how she was perceived and treated by people abroad. Unhappy with that two-dimensional perception, she decided to do something about it.

After her service, she earned her Master’s degree in Film Production from Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts. Her subsequent film, Sight, has been screened in numerous festivals including San Diego Comic-Con International Film Festival and Bronze Lens Film Festival.

Recently, Neen completed a filmmaking residency with the Southern Foodways Alliance. There, she directed a mini-documentary entitled Where There’s Smoke. The film is about the hazardous and outdated practice of sugarcane burning in Muck City, Florida through the eyes of a lifelong resident and anti-burn advocate.

Currently, Neen is working on bringing her first feature, Peenie-Wallie, to fruition.