Bio

Singled out for her expressive and stylized work, Cybel Martin is the first and only African American woman to receive an MFA in Cinematography from New York University. Perhaps because she was named after 1962 Oscar winning film, “Sundays and Cybele”, this native New Yorker has set her sights on her own golden statue.
	She served as the Cinematographer for “Orange Bow” which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival and for “Sangam” which was recognized for its deeply moody and textured palette and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Her feature work has included “Flora’s Garment Bursting into Bloom”, winner of the Showtime “No Limits” Award at the New Festival, additional photography for the Slamdance Grand Jury Winner “On The Outs” and the edgy criminal dramas “Dregs of Society” and “No Problema”. Recent and upcoming feature films include “A Ticket for Hope”, the Bollywood adventure “Arranged Love” and Tracey Moore’s “The Departure”.
She received considerable recognition for her work on “The Gilded Six Bits”. This 1920′s period piece set in the rural south and based on a Zora Neale Hurston story, won the Hollywood Black Film Festival Jury Award and special screenings at The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian and Museum of Natural History.
	Cybel has contributed to numerous documentaries, notably “Inside: The New Black Panther Party” for National Geographic, ”11 Days” directed by Dan Metcalf and produced by Mark Burnett, Virginia Film Fest’s favorite “Live From the Hook” and the Tribeca Film Festival “All Access Award” winner, “Dressed Like Kings”. Her commercial clients include L’Oreal, Hewlett Packard, Timberland, Calvin Klein, Nike, Sony Music and PBS.
Inspired to share her knowledge and career experiences, Cybel has participated in several film panels and lecture series. Her favorites include guest lecturer at the Psychiatry Department at Columbia University, Cinematography instructor for the Film Academy in Nigeria, guest teacher for The Ghetto Film School and panelist at the Arizona Black Film Fest. She documents some of her experiences in Nigeria in a recently published photography book, “Picture in Nigeria” which is available for Blurb.com. Regardless of shooting schedules, Cybel still manages to watch one new film per day. She greatly enjoys sharing her observations with others on Twitter via @CybelDP and #nfotd. Cybel has been featured in American Cinematographer Magazine and Fader Magazine.