Meet Ami Coulibaly | Writer & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ami Coulibaly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ami, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After an especially grueling time working in corporate, I sat down with my best friend, and we both arrived to the same conclusion: when there’s a lack of opportunity, create your own. Stifled by corporate environments, and as a natural artist, I felt like starting my own business was the best way I could combine the passions I have for Film & Television with the skillset I acquired over my career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I first joined the Film/TV industry, I told myself I would try a little bit of everything just so I could use the process of elimination to help me land on what part of it I wanted to fully pursue. Starting off in unscripted television was a wild learning experience as it proved plenty challenging to cast an in-person game show right during the pandemic right when things began to reopen. I’ve worked in pre-production, on-set in production, and most recently in post-production to see firsthand the various insides and outs of how things are made in the industry. When working as a freelancer, finding your next gig proved most challenging, but the best friendships I’ve made have been with the people I spent 15+ hours a day in a production with. From each crew and team, I grew tremendously as a professional, and I’ve had the privilege to work alongside some of the best, underrated talent in Entertainment.

And to specify the art I create, I have to recognize two of the things I’ve loved most in my life: fantasy and traveling. With the production company I co-run, the mission is to create captivating stories that transport audiences to alternate worlds, blending the vibrancy of diverse cultures with elements of magical realism and wonder. Each story I work on seeks to amplify underrepresented voices and perspectives, while inspiring imagination, empathy, and curiosity. Through those stories, I aim to ignite a sense of awe and possibility in the hearts of all who experience them, inviting them to see the world through a lens of heightened reality and endless potential.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This has been one of my favorite things to do when folks visit, and it usually goes like this:

Day one: I take them on a driving tour down Sunset Boulevard to see the billboards, landmarks, and streets often associated with Los Angeles, ending going down Rodeo Drive just to say they’ve been. Then I drive through Coldwater Canyon so that they can see some of the best views of the city while driving through the hills.

Day. two: A Hamburger Mary’s Drag Brunch show is an absolute must with the infamous mimosas to pair. I think it’s our civic duty to support Drag, and the energy in those shows is electric. The rest of the time is spent walking around West Hollywood and making a stop at the Dialog Cafe for their food and pastries.

Day three: If the timing’s perfect, there’s the Black on the Block monthly event where there’d be black vendors, artists, musicians and incredible food & drinks.

Day four: I’m partial to an “L.A. hike”, so hitting up Runyon canyon.

Day five: And lastly, a picnic at the Griffith Observatory. I’ve normally packed food with friends and grabbed blankets to set up outside on the lawn just to watch the sun set – it’s also an amazing opportunity to visit the Planetarium!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would most definitely like to dedicate the passion I have for film and the industry to my mother. She ran a loving, creative household that somehow was the only one in the neighborhood without cable, so we relied on our abundant family DVD/VHS collection for family movie nights. With each movie, I fell deeper and deeper in love with movie-making: I spent hours watching behind the scene footage all while my mom encouraged me to learn from who she explained to be my “future peers”. I think about all the moments of doubt in my life, and in those instances, my mom stands clear as the supportive figure who encourages me to create endlessly.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amz_coul/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ami-coulibaly

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13446725/