Emmy-Nominated Director Joslyn Rose Wins at Los Angeles Independent Film Festival for The Listeners

The award-winning filmmaker adds another festival honor to her growing slate of achievements, following a Best Director nomination at the Montreal Independent Film Festival, as she expands her film and television career with new representation and international recognition.

NOVEMBER 2026 | FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT | LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL | AWARD WINNER

For Emmy-nominated director and award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer Joslyn Rose, storytelling has always been about more than what appears on screen. It's about the humanity beneath the surface, the perspectives that challenge convention, and the power of cinema to illuminate stories that might otherwise go untold.

Now, with an official award win at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (LAIFF) for her narrative short film The Listeners, Rose is celebrating another milestone in an increasingly dynamic chapter of her career.

The festival announced Rose's achievement with an official congratulations, recognizing her work and confirming that the award will be featured in the upcoming LAIFF Official Catalog, with coverage, publication, and distribution through The Film Festival Network.

The recognition follows her Best Director nomination at the Montreal Independent Film Festival's October 2026 edition, adding to a growing collection of festival honors for The Listeners.

With new representation secured over the summer, several projects in development across film and television, and a new film slated for release, Rose is entering an exciting new phase of her career.

Her growing body of work reflects an artist whose creative instincts move fluidly between documentary and narrative filmmaking, with an emphasis on character, emotional truth, and cultural impact.

A Career Built on Purpose

Rose's feature-length studio directorial debut, Stand, released through Showtime and Paramount+, brought the extraordinary story of NBA prodigy and activist Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to the screen. Featuring from Steph Curry, Mahershala Ali, and Ice Cube, the documentary explores Abdul-Rauf's remarkable basketball career, his personal convictions, and the consequences of standing by his beliefs. The film earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Feature Length Documentary, marking a significant milestone in Rose's career and establishing her as a compelling voice in nonfiction filmmaking.

But Rose's work extends well beyond documentary. Her credits span scripted films, documentaries, and digital series, with projects featured across Showtime, Paramount+, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Starz, and Lionsgate. Her films have screened at festivals including Sundance, Essence, and Urbanworld. She was also named a finalist for the Academy Gold Women's Fellowship through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, further recognizing her creative promise and contributions to the industry.

The Listeners: An Award-Winning Journey Through Independent Cinema

As Rose continues developing new work, her narrative short film The Listeners has been building momentum across the independent and international festival circuit. Starring acclaimed actor Blair Underwood, Super Bowl champion turned actor Vernon Davis, Bechir Sylvain (Jurassic World), Simone Leanora, and Cindy Herron (En Vogue), and featuring original music by No I.D. and Jon Batiste, the film reflects Rose's interest in intimate, emotionally resonant storytelling.

The latest recognition comes from the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, where Rose was officially named an award winner. The festival celebrated the achievement in its official notification, confirming that her work will be highlighted in the forthcoming LAIFF Official Catalog and distributed through The Film Festival Network, providing an additional platform for industry visibility and recognition.

The Los Angeles honor builds on a successful festival run for The Listeners, including Rose's Best Director nomination at the Montreal Independent Film Festival in October 2026 and a Best Director award at the LA Independent Filmmaker Showcase. Together, these achievements reflect the film's continued momentum and Rose's expanding recognition as a narrative filmmaker.

For Rose, independent cinema remains an essential creative space, offering filmmakers the freedom to explore unconventional narratives, take artistic risks, and tell stories with an intimacy that larger productions don't always allow.

Her earlier narrative work has also received international recognition, including a premiere at Sundance London and honors such as Best Short at the American Film Awards, Best Female Director from Top Shorts, and Best Director at the LA Independent Women Film Awards.

With the latest LAIFF recognition, The Listeners continues to build on the momentum of Rose's evolving career, bringing her distinct storytelling perspective to audiences across the United States and internationally.

Following the Light

At the center of Rose's filmmaking philosophy is an interest in stories that reveal something meaningful about the human experience.

That sensibility informs the creative direction of her evolving slate, which spans scripted and unscripted projects.

As Rose puts it:

“I've always believed in following the light. It's what leads me to the stories that matter.”

The sentiment reflects the creative throughline connecting Rose's projects: a belief that the most powerful stories can emerge from unexpected places, and that the filmmaker's responsibility is to recognize them.

Her work frequently explores identity, resilience, cultural influence, and the complexity of human connection.

Whether examining the convictions of a celebrated athlete or exploring the emotional landscape of a fictional character, Rose approaches filmmaking through the lens of empathy and discovery.

Expanding Her Creative Universe

Rose's career has also taken her into music, sports, and cultural storytelling, directing projects that bring together some of the most recognizable figures in entertainment and professional athletics.

Among her recent credits is Off-Season, a project featuring NFL stars George Kittle and Vernon Davis, directed by Rose and available to stream on Tubi. The project adds to her growing portfolio of sports-centered storytelling, a space in which she has consistently demonstrated an ability to capture the personalities, experiences, and humanity behind celebrated athletes.

For Uninterrupted and SpringHill, she directed and executive produced Same Energy, featuring Marshawn Lynch and 2 Chainz. She also served as a producer on the documentary Tale of the Tape, featuring J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar.

The range of these projects speaks to Rose's ability to navigate different creative environments while maintaining a recognizable interest in the intersection of artists, athletes, and the impact of storytelling.

Beyond the screen, Rose has contributed to the creative community through guest lectures at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts and Stanford University's Institute for Diversity in the Arts.

She has also served as a judge for both the Emmy Awards and the Webby Awards, participated in the Academy's Gold Rising program, and is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.

These experiences reflect Rose's continued engagement with the broader filmmaking community and her interest in the next generation of storytelling.

A New Chapter: Recognition, Representation, and What's Next

With a new award from the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, a Best Director nomination in Montreal, new representation, and an expanding development slate, Rose is building on her momentum across film and television.

Several projects are currently in development, while an upcoming film release is expected to offer audiences another dimension of her creative vision. Details remain under wraps, but the next phase reflects her continued evolution as a filmmaker working across genres, formats, and platforms.

The recognition surrounding The Listeners represents more than another festival milestone. It underscores the continued growth of a filmmaker whose work bridges independent cinema, studio documentaries, music, sports, and culturally driven narratives.

As the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival prepares to publish its official catalog featuring this year's award recipients, Rose's latest achievement adds another chapter to a career defined by creative exploration, artistic purpose, and an expanding presence in the entertainment industry.

For Rose, the throughline remains a commitment to stories that resonate beyond the screen. As her slate grows and new opportunities take shape, she continues to follow the instinct that has guided her work from the beginning: finding the light in unexpected places and bringing those stories to audiences.

About Joslyn Rose

Joslyn Rose is an Emmy-nominated director, award-winning filmmaker, producer, and writer whose work spans narrative film, documentaries, television, and culturally driven storytelling.

Her feature documentary Stand earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Feature Length Documentary, while her narrative short film The Listeners was named an official award winner at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (LAIFF) and received a Best Director nomination at the Montreal Independent Film Festival's October 2026 edition.

An Academy Gold Women's Fellowship finalist, Rose has collaborated on projects spanning entertainment, music, and professional sports. She has served as a judge for the Emmy and Webby Awards, contributed to creative programs at USC's School of Cinematic Arts and Stanford University's Institute for Diversity in the Arts, and is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. With new representation, multiple projects in development, and continued festival recognition, Rose is expanding her creative footprint across film and television.