Michelle Amor Gillie
Clinical Assistant Professor of Screenwriting Loyola Marymount University
Media
Biography
She has also taught at UCLA, the American Film Institute (AFI), Chapman University, and California State University, Northridge (CSUN), mentoring emerging writers across Southern California.
Internationally, she has led immersive screenwriting programs in Budapest, Hungary (2019, 2024) through the Budapest Film Academy at Eotvos Lorand University, where LMU students collaborated with international film students and working professionals. She is especially interested in expanding global teaching and intercultural creative collaboration.
As a working screenwriter and producer, her recent projects include P.G. County, a four-part feature film series for Lifetime in collaboration with Lionsgate TV and Mary J. Blige’s Blue Butterfly Productions; Becoming Booker T., based on the life of WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. Huffman; and multiple film, television, and theater projects in development.
Her earlier credits include Playin’ for Love, directed by Robert Townsend; Of Boys & Men, starring Angela Bassett; and the documentary Tupac Shakur: Before I Wake, which she co-wrote and co-produced.
Michelle’s work in ethical AI and creative pedagogy has received university and international recognition. She was selected as an ACTI Faculty Fellow for research on authorship and artificial intelligence in creative education. In 2026, she received a CILECT Vision & Innovation Grant and was selected to present at the 2026 CILECT Congress in Dublin, Ireland.
A member of the Writers Guild of America West, Michelle served as co-chair of the WGAW Committee of Black Writers from 2013 to 2023. She co-authored the widely cited open letter Dear Hollywood, addressing systemic racism in entertainment. Variety named her one of its Top Educators in Entertainment.
She holds an MFA from UCLA and a BA from Columbia College Chicago.
Education
University of California, Los Angeles
MFA
Theater, Film, and Television
2014
Columbia College, Chicago
BA
Arts, Entertainment & Media Management
1995
Areas of Expertise
Industry Expertise
Accomplishments
CILECT Vision & Innovation Grant Recipient
2026-05-02
Awarded international competitive funding for Human-Centered AI for Screenwriting Education, a global initiative focused on ethical AI integration, authorship, and film pedagogy.
Affiliations
- CILECT
- ScriptHop
- UCLA Alumni Association
- Writers Guild of America West
Event Appearances
HOLIDAY SOUL 2017, sponsored by UTA, NETFLIX, GOOGLE, HBO, CBS, OWN
WGA West Event Los Angeles, CA
2017-12-13
HOLIDAY SOUL 2016, sponsored by UTA, NETFLIX, GOOGLE, HBO, CBS, OWN
WGA West Event Los Angeles, CA
2016-12-12
The 25th Anniversary of The Five Heartbeats Screening
WGA West Event Los Angeles, CA
2016-03-07
CBW's 2nd Annual NAACP Nominated Writers Panel
WGA West Event Los Angeles, CA
2016-02-04
40th Anniversary of Cooley High
WGA West Event Los Angeles, CA
2015-02-26
An Evening with TV's Empire
WGA West Event Los Angeles, CA
2015-06-23
Research Grants
CILECT Vision & Innovation Grant
CILECT (International Association of Film and Television Schools)
2026-05-02
Awarded competitive international funding to develop Human-Centered AI for Screenwriting Education: Protecting Authorship Through Reflective Practice, a global teaching initiative focused on ethical AI integration in film education. The project develops a portable toolkit for film educators that includes classroom frameworks, reflection templates, sustainability recommendations, and adaptable teaching practices that help students engage artificial intelligence while protecting authorship, creative voice, and human-centered storytelling across international contexts.
