How can ethnic film producers benefit future film producers in life? A person who has great love for films is destined to become a film producer. If that person also has a lot of energy and leadership skills, they should take that path. Ethnic film producers such as Oscar Micheaux, Spike Lee, Warrington Hudlin, William Greaves, etc. Ethnic film producers have all benefited. Known as the pioneer of African American cinema, Oscar Devereaux Micheaux, born January 2, 1884 in Metropolis, Illinois, was an American author, director and independent producer of over 45 films from 1919 to 1948. He was born on a farm and was the fifth child of Calvin S. and Belle Micheaux who had thirteen children. His father was born a slave in Kentucky. He wrestled as a kid and wrote about it in later years. His films were a challenge to both segregation and society at large. At age 17 he moved to Chicago and worked for five years before moving to South Dakota to farm and write. His first novel, The Conquest: The Story of a Negro Pioneer, was based on his life experiences when living on a farm among white neighbors in 1913. In 1915, Micheaux lost his land due to financial problems. He moved to Sioux, Iowa and founded his own publishing company, The Western Book and Supply Company. He later wrote a novel, The Homesteader (formerly The Conquest) and produced a film version of the novel which was the first feature film produced by an African American. He sold his book to the white men he did business with and by going door to door. Oscar Micheaux's career as a director was not a career he dreamed of as a child, the career came to him along the way of his career as a novelist. In 1919, he was contacted by representatives of an African Tisch School of Arts... and culminated in his first film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads. His success comes from his films that examine race relations and controversial and political issues. He paved the way for many directors such as John Singleton, Matty Rich, Darnell Martin, Ernest Dickerson and Albert and Allen Hughes. Spike started out directing films that dealt with colorism in the black community. Spike Lee's first feature film, She's Gotta Have It, was a groundbreaking film for African-American filmmakers. He had a huge impact on the representation of blacks in American cinema. The film had a huge impact on Brooklyn thanks to Lee portraying it as a successful community of African Americans. It described African American women and men as intelligent and civilized. This transformed the vision from pimps and whores into successful individuals.