Angela Garcia Combs

Angela Garcia Combs is an award-winning writer/director concentrating on the female perspective while maintaining a light touch, a sharp wit and an accessible style. Her work in Film, Theater, Literary Fiction and published Essays have been highly regarded for their unique point of view and skillful craft.

As a single mother of three, Angela graduated from UCLA's School of Theatre, Film and Television, and has since written and directed independent films (feature and short), optioned multiple screenplays, published novellas’, short stories, essays, and is a contributing writer for the Huffington Post Entertainment Blog. Angela’s work in theater includes directing at the highly respected Odyssey and Blank Theaters in Los Angeles, writing for LA STAGE (Southern California’s performing arts magazine) and workshopping several of her own original plays.

Angela's production company, Yellow Wallpaper Productions, was founded with the mission of giving voice to intelligent, thoughtful and complicated stories reflecting and even shaping the zeitgeist with the enhancement of the female perspective.

Awards

Creature in a Box, Arts and Letter's Journal of Contemporary Culture Honoree.

"Nothing Special," Award of Excellence in Direction, The Indie Fest

"Nothing Special," Best Debut Feature, Female Eye Film Festival (Toronto).

The Henry Jaglom Award of Creative Excellence in Direction, Iowa International Film Festival.

“She is one of the most talented directors I’ve ever worked with. She brings vision, leadership and is a brilliant communicator. Somehow she makes you feel like you’ve got all the time in the world but we were always ahead of schedule. What can I say, she’s a single mom.”

— Karen Black

Dear President Carter, Published in the Huffington Post

A few years ago, a dear friend left us too soon after succumbing to cancer. I resisted articulating my love and admiration to her as I witnessed an unseemly parade of tearful remembrances at her bedside. I know now that it was a mistake not to have found a way to convey to her how her art and being had influenced and inspired me. Recent news of your diagnosis, Mr. President, has reminded me of those regrets, so now I want to send my good wishes for your health, and tell you how much you have inspired and guided me. I cannot possibly convey the entire story in a thousand words, but here is one tiny thread.

Why "Selma" Got It Right, Published in the Huffington Post

There is much hoopla over Ava DuVernay's buzzed-about film Selma regarding historical "inaccuracies" in the portrayal of President Johnson. In a TIME magazine article, David Kaiser takes us through a narrative presupposing the president's intentions, while admitting, "LBJ never let anyone know what he planned to do until it was absolutely necessary." This seems an admission that the dramatized conversations in Selma that have become the subject of this debate are not out of place and are therefore free territory for the imaginations of a gifted filmmaker like DuVernay.

"Karen Black: Perfectly Misunderstood," Published in the Huffington Post

Karen Black died last week and she was my unlikely friend.

I say so because all the conventional markers could not have predicted it. I am an atheist, a feminist and a film director and Karen was none of those things. I plan fastidiously with storyboards and shotlists in pursuit of the dramatic truth. Karen sought the same truth, but through jarringly different means.