ROBERT TOWNSEND

With over 30 years in the business, passionate visionary and trailblazer, Robert Townsend, transcends any medium he touches: Actor, writer, director, producer, stand-up comedy or running a television network. The Chicago native is often referred to as one of the "Godfathers of the Independent Film World."  Robert acted out scenes, impersonating famous characters as a child, eventually making his mark in his hometown, and moving on to New York's renowned comedy club, The Improvisation, initiating his career in stand-up comedy. His big break came performing on various television comedy specials, including Rodney Dangerfield's, "It's Not Easy Being Me," and others. He then landed a role opposite Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Story," and appeared in "Streets of Fire," with Diane Lane, and "American Flyers," with Kevin Costner.   In Hollywood, he saw the difficulty black actors had and lack of good work available in the film industry, leaving a burning desire to step behind the camera,