Tamika Lamison (born May 26, 1969) is an American filmmaker, writer, director, producer, actress, and humanitarian known for founding the Make A Film Foundation (MAFF), a nonprofit organization that helps children with serious medical conditions create short films. Born in Virginia, she won Miss Black Virginia in 1990.

She directed and produced the 2024 short film Superman Doesn't Steal, which received recognition at several festivals and award platforms. The film was acknowledged at the NAACP Image Awards, screened at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, and also shown during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It went on to win the Best Short First Film award at the Septimius Awards and earned her the Best Director award at the 2024 Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival.

Early life and education Tamika Lamison was born in Richmond, Virginia. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts from The American University. Lamison participated in the Miss Black Virginia1990 pageant, which she won.

Career

Film and television Lamison began her career as an actress, performing in various theaters in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Her film, television and plays credits includes "Last Life", "Shear Madness" at the Kennedy Center in Washington. and serving as a writer and supervising producer for the television series "Monogamy".

Lamison's first screenplay, "The Jar By The Door," was a Sundance Finalist and won the Gordon Parks Indie Film Award, which carried a $10,000 cash prize. She later used the award prize money to relocate to Los Angeles.

Make A Film Foundation

In 2006, Lamison founded the Make A Film Foundation (MAFF), a nonprofit organization that grants film wishes to children with serious or life-threatening medical conditions by teaming them with noted actors, writers, and directors to create short film legacies. MAFF has produced over 100 short films through its Short Narrative Program and Vidz 4 Kidz Short Documentary Program.

Notable projects include "The Magic Bracelet," written by Rina Goldberg and adapted by Diablo Cody, featuring actors such as Bailee Madison and Hailee Steinfeld and "Deep Blue Breath," written by Clay Beabout and starring Sean Astin and Ernie Hudson.

Superman Doesn't Steal and awards success (2024–present)

In 2024, Lamison wrote and directed the coming-of-age short drama film Superman Doesn't Steal. Released on January 10, 2024, the film quickly earned critical praise for its storytelling and emotional depth.

Inspired by true events, the film explores themes of Black ownership and takes place during the tragic era of the 1970s Atlanta child murders. It resonated deeply with audiences and made its way to several film festivals, including the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Tallahassee Film Festival.

In 2024, Superman Doesn't Steal received multiple nominations and won seven awards. It was also honored with the Outstanding Short Form award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards, held in 2025.

Advocacy and leadership Lamison served as the Executive Director of the Commercial Directors Diversity Program (CDDP), a diversity and inclusion program under the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). She is also the Senior Vice President of Development & Production at PhilmCo, a company focused on art advocacy and commerce.

Controversy

Allegations against Vincent Cirrincione Lamison was among nine women, predominantly women of color, who accused Cirrincione of sexual harassment. In February 2018, Lamison publicly accused Hollywood talent manager Vincent Cirrincione of sexual misconduct. She alleged that in 1996, at the age of 27, she met Cirrincione at a Tony Awards dinner. He invited her to his hotel suite for an audition, during which he took a phone call from Halle Berry and put it on speakerphone. Lamison claimed that while she was performing a poem, Cirrincione grabbed and kissed her, then propositioned her by stating he would represent her if she agreed to have sex with him whenever he wanted. She rejected his advances and left the suite.

Miss Black Virginia Pageant Concerns In the early 1990s, Lamison, who held the title of Miss Black Virginia 1990, voiced concerns about the management of the pageant. She reported being frequently asked to solicit funds for the organization without transparency on how the money was used. Lamison also stated that two years after winning, she had not received the full prize money promised. She took action by sending numerous complaint letters to businesses, seeking accountability from the pageant organizers.

Filmography

Film / TV YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerActor1999Craddle Will Rock2003HOPECollege Hill2018Craig Ross Jr.'s Monogamy Last Lifekumba Shule

Short films / Documentaries YearTitleDirectorWriterActorProducer2003Hope2004The Male Groupie2005P.N.O.KK(no)w De:tales2007SpinPut It in a Book2011Deep Blue Breath2012The Question2013The Real Blood GhostThe Magic Bracelet2017 The 3rd Era of MedicineThe Black GhiandolaKatharine of AmericaSex and Violence! or: A Brief Review of Simple Physics2021Ferguson Rises2022Bourn Kind: The Tiny Kindness Project2024Superman Doesn't Steal

Awards and recognition YearAwardCategoryResultRef2025Image Awards (NAACP)Outstanding Short FormCameroon International Film FestivalBest short International film2024Pan African Film FestivalBest FilmSeptimius AwardsBest Short FilmTallahassee Film FestivalAudience Choice AwardChesapeake Film FestivalBest Short Narrative Reel Sisters of the DiasporaBest DirectorBest Narrative Short

References