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 craft genre-bending narratives and untold stories within the world of disability.

He holds an MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and was honored with the DGA Student Award for his thesis film, ASIA A. His latest short, IRON LUNG, earned the Grand Jury Prize for Best Unstoppable Short at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival. He has also earned nominations at the NAACP Image Awards, Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, HBO Latino Short Film Competition, and the Best of NewFilmmakers LA. His award-winning films have been showcased at more than 90 film festivals worldwide.

Reid's recent accolades include being selected for the Gotham Week Project Market, Sundance & Disney Project Advancement and Completion Fund, SFFilm Rainin Filmmakers with Disabilities Grant, Tribeca Studios Sloan Filmmaker Fund, the Spinal Cord Injury Artist Innovator Fund, Inevitable Foundation Elevate Collective, and the Arts Council of Long Beach Creative Corps.

He participated in the Paramount ViewFinder Emerging TV Directors Program and was a finalist for both the Ryan Murphy HALF Directing Initiative and the NBCUniversal Launch TV Directors Program. His feature, documentary, and episodic projects have been supported by the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Studios, Film Independent, Panavision, The Gotham, and the Sloan Foundation. Reid is also an alumnus of Film Independent’s Project Involve, where he was selected as a Directing Fellow.

Prior to directing full time, he was a Creative Executive at Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, where he helped launch the company and contributed to building a filmmaker-first development slate while packaging star-driven features for both studio and independent partners.

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, 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.