BIOGRAPHY

Originally from Jamaica, Andrew Reid is a physically disabled writer/director who immigrated to the United States at age 10. He uses the visual medium to create genre-bending narratives and untold stories in the world of disability.

He holds an MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and was honored with the DGA Student Award. Recently, he won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Unstoppable Short at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival. He has also earned nominations at the NAACP Image Awards, the HBOMax Latino Short Film Competition, and the Best of NewFilmmakers LA. His award-winning films have been showcased at more than 90 film festivals around the world.

Reid's recent accolades include being selected for the Sundance & Disney Project Advancement and Completion Fund, SFFilm Rainin Filmmakers with Disabilities Grant, the Spinal Cord Injury Artist Innovator Fund, Inevitable Foundation Elevate Collective and the Arts Council of Long Beach Creative Corps. Furthermore, he participated in the Paramount ViewFinder Emerging TV Directors Program and was selected as a finalist for the NBCU Launch TV Directors Program. He is currently developing feature and episodic narratives that have received support from Sundance, Tribeca Film Institute, Film Independent, Panavision, The Gotham, and the Sloan Foundation.

Reid was also selected as a directing fellow for Film Independent’s Project Involve and was a semi-finalist for the Student Academy Awards. He has directed several short films and has creative development experience at Artists Equity, Pearl Street Films, Paramount Pictures and NBCUniversal.

DISABILITY & ADVOCACY

During Andrew’s senior year at the University of Florida, he experienced a medical event that changed his life. A malformation of his blood vessels (AVM) resulted in a rupture which compressed his spine while he was sleeping, leaving him completely paralyzed. He was told by doctors that he would never walk again…

During the ensuing months of hospitalization and focused recovery, he encountered a diverse group of individuals, spanning ages, who, like him, grappled with life-altering disabilities. Their narratives of resilience became the driving force behind his own recovery, inspiring his debut film—a heartfelt tribute to his caregivers. Today, Reid walks with a cane and continues his progress in strength and health.

He became an advocate for the disabled community and is on the Board of Directors for Ainsley’s Angels of America, an organization that is challenging perceptions of what it is to be a runner by giving individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate in races across North America. Additionally, he served as an Entertainment and News Media Apprentice for Disability Belongs through their National Leadership Program (NLP), which supports talented individuals with disabilities who are committed to building a more accessible, equitable, and inclusive society. He is also an active public speaker, having presented at Disability Belongs, USC School of Cinematic Arts, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), and the Paramount Disability Summit, where he advocates for championing BIPOC and disabled creatives.