Amirah Adem ’21 speaks from experience when she says children of immigrants tend to follow certain career pathways.
“It’s either become a medical doctor,” she says, “a lawyer or an engineer.”
A QuestBridge scholar and first-generation South African and Ethiopian American from South Mountain, Georgia, Adem planned on becoming a gynecologist to help victims of female genital mutilation (FGM). She wanted to influence lives, and majoring in biology at Pomona would be the first step.
With no pressure to declare a major right away, Adem took Intro to Film as a sophomore and says watching and dissecting films in class convinced her she could influence lives another way.
“I really thought I wanted to be a doctor out of empathy for other people,” she says. “But I learned I didn’t want to have people’s lives in my hands. I would rather have their emotions in my hands as a filmmaker.”
While completing her degree in media studies, Adem received a $15,000 grant from the Donald A. Strauss Foundation to produce a documentary based on the first FGM case in the United States.
Her film, Cutting Roses, doubled as her senior thesis, and in 2022 won the Winslow Award, given yearly to the senior project deemed most outstanding by media studies faculty.
Adem pursued her master’s degree at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and last year, a commercial she directed for the annual Coca-Cola Refreshing Films Program won Best Composition and Cinemark Fan Favorite, awards voted on by viewers.
Her 50-second spot, A Cinema’s Groove, was shown in more than 500 Cinemark theaters nationwide in December.
“A good filmmaker is someone that has good storytelling skills,” says Adem, who earned her MFA in film and TV production in May. “They’re able to resonate with their audiences through emotion and being empathetic. They’re able to pull the heartstrings of another person no matter their race, gender or background.”
Adem admires directors Chloé Zhao and Boots Riley for embodying the art they create.
The Pomona alumna draws inspiration from personal experiences and observations, and she isn’t afraid to use comedy to lighten dark moments. Adem wants to replace outdated Hollywood tropes and uses a quote from Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay as her North Star:
If doors don’t open for you, create your own door.
“There’s an ideal feel, an ideal vibe I want to put out into the industry,” Adem says. “I would love to eventually work in development where I’m able to green light other people’s stories that touch on underrepresented topics and put a diverse array of directors in place.”
Adem’s burgeoning portfolio includes work as a producer, director and writer, including producing a Sloan-awarded project (Defiant Ones) and a student BAFTA-longlisted film (Many Thousands Lost).
Her versatility as a filmmaker derives from a childhood of performing poetry and spoken word in front of crowds. “I’ve always been creative,” she says, “but I never thought filmmaking could be a viable career option.”
At Pomona, Adem was given the latitude to find her own career pathway. She remains grateful to her professors for supporting her through her ups and downs and her peers for encouraging her to set lofty goals.
As with most filmmakers, there’s one goal in particular Adem wants to achieve.
“I really hope to get an Oscar,” she says.