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Nicole Franklin

Nicole Franklin is the Director of Communications for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of University Marketing and Communications. Nicole was previously the Public Information Officer (PIO II) for the City of St. Louis Department of Public Safety where she was responsible for media relations, press releases, content creation, strategic communications for nine divisions including the City of St. Louis Fire Department, Corrections, the Office of Violence Prevention, Excise, Buildings and Problem Properties Team.

Nicole is an award-winning filmmaker, freelance journalist, ghostwriter, and 30-year veteran of local and network news in both Los Angeles and New York. With work on several Emmy Award-winning teams including NBC Nightly News and CBS Sunday Morning in her background she launched the podcast series Before You Go, featuring first-person narratives from centenarians. Her decades-long career as a video editor led to her new role as a docuseries story producer. Story producer credits include NAACP Image Award double nominee The Hair Tales, executive produced by HULU and OWN. Her filmmaking credits include the award-winning TITLE VII and her Sundance Channel debut feature, I Was Made to Love Her: the Double Dutch Documentary. Her other credits include The Double Dutch Divas!, Journeys in Black:  the Jamie Foxx Biography, Gershwin & Bess: A Dialogue with Anne Brown, and the documentary series Little Brother.

Nicole’s portfolio garnered numerous festival awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival, and grant awards from The Jerome Foundation, New York Women in Film & Television and Foundation to Promote Open Society/Campaign for Black Male Achievement. Nicole continues to be recognized for changing the narrative when it comes to stories featuring communities of color in the United States and indigenous communities in the U.S. and abroad. Her distinctive research and interviewing style often result in extraordinary access to the innermost revelations from real-life characters.

Nicole is a member of the Directors Guild, Producers Guild, New York Women in Film & Television, Film Fatales, Black Documentary Collective, Writers Guild of America Women of Color Caucus and National Association of Black Journalists.

HONORS
Lifetime Achievement Award of the Reel Sisters of the African Diaspora Film Festival 2017

Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award, Video Editor, "CBS Sunday Morning" The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (2013, 2015, 2016) 

Best Documentary at the Hollywood Black Film Festival

Best Documentary in Atlanta’s Night of the Black Independents Film Festival

Best African-American Documentary Film at the Brooklyn Film Festival

CiNY Award for Outstanding Filmmaking from CineWomen NY

Honorable Mention from Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame

Directing Finalist for the Gordon Parks Award (2000, 2005)

Audience Award at the Fourth Annual African-American Women in Cinema Conference and Festival

First Runner Up at the First Annual Original Action Shero Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY

Honorable Mention at the Women of Color Film Festival

Inspiration Award at the Riverrun Film Festival

Showtime Latino Filmmaker Award

Community Service Award, African American Leadership Initiative (AALI) of the United Way of Greater Union County

Juror’s Choice Certificate, The Brooklyn Chapter of the Links “Salute to Youth” 12th Annual Women of African Descent Film Festival

Citation from Councilmember Jumaane D. Williams (Brooklyn, NY) for “outstanding citizen” who give “exemplary service to their communities” (2012, 2013)
 

48th Annual Los Angeles Emmy Awards, Editor on the KNBC-TV award-winning team of "O.J. Simpson: The Trial" which won the Emmy (1996) for Information/public affairs series (studio-based)

GRANTS
Hofstra Cultural Center Grant (2019)

The Herbert School Faculty Research and Development Grant (2018-2019)

The Barbara Appel Trust (2015, 2017)

Campaign for Black Male Achievement Award from the Foundation to Promote Open Society (2013)

Bloomfield College Faculty Development Grant (2011 - 2012)

Women's Film Finishing Fund (2000)

The Jerome Foundation and the Women’s Film Finishing Fund (2000)