Sade Ndya is a Cinematographer, Fine Artist, and Community Organizer. Her visual language is rooted in surrealist imagery and dynamic lighting, dedicated to portraying the beauty and dynamism of Blackness on screen. Recently named an ASC Rising Star by American Cinematographer, Sade continues to carve out a distinct voice within contemporary cinema.

Sade is represented by The Gersh Agency, her work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times and in the Netflix documentary Strong Black Lens. She has collaborated with companies including BET, Disney, NBC, Hillman Grad, and Hoorae, and has lensed innovative commercial campaigns for leading brands like Nike, Google, Delta, and Ford.

Her narrative work has screened internationally: Soñadora premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and now streams on Amazon Prime/Hulu. Her NAACP-nominated short, My Brother & Me, premiered at ABFF and can be seen on American Airlines flights. Most recently, her video installation "Re-Imagining Black ___", curated by Tina Knowles Lawson, completed a month-long exhibition at the WACO Theater Center in Los Angeles. 

Beyond her film work, she is deeply committed to uplifting the next generation of filmmakers though Made In Her Image, a non-profit that provides women and non-binary youth of color with access to film, media, and technology through education, and mentorship. Their programs have expanded with partnerships from companies like Panavision, A24, and Sundance.

*Up next...  Seaweed Snacks, developed under Film Independent’s Project Involve, is set for release in 2026. The pilot, That’s Your Business with Tabitha Brown, produced by Stephen Love of Invisible Collective, recently premiered its teaser trailer at SXSW and is to be released soon. With these projects and more in motion, Sade continues to lens bold, visually striking stories that bridge heart, culture, and imagination.

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Press

Deadline: Film Independent Unveils 2025 Project Involve Cohort

2023 ASC Rising Stars of Cinematography, American Cinematographer

Netflix x Strong Black Lead: Strong Black Lens

Grass-Roots Networks Boosting Diversity on Hollywood Film & TV Crews, LA Times

BLACK CREATORS x BEATS FLEX, Beats By Dre

Black Creators Fund Recipient , Halsey

Interview with Sade Ndya, Panavision

Exhibitions

2023 "Re-Imagining Black ___", Witness at WACO Theater Center 

2019 "Bloody Gums", 100 Portraits

2018 "A Weary Performance", Represent: Power in Color

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Sade Ndya x Cinematography Reel