Mary Lou Belli

Mary Lou Belli, a two-time Los Angeles Area Emmy award-winner and Primetime Emmy Award Nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series has been directing television for over 30 years in many genres from sitcoms to procedurals to documentaries including NCIS: New Orleans, Black Lightning, Bull, Legacies, Sweet Magnolias, Station 19, and Hart of Dixie as well as Wizards of Waverly Place, Sister, Sister, Girlfriends, and The Game. Mary Lou was on the directing faculty of USC's School of Cinematic Arts for a decade.

Now, through her teaching, she supports many of the vibrant diversity programs including the DGA, NBC, ABC/Disney, CBS, Sony, AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, and Warner Bros. Directing Workshop mentoring the next generation of directors. She is the co-author of four books: "The NEW Sitcom Career Book," "Acting for Young Actors," "PERFORM: Acting for the Screen" and "Directors Tell the Story" which she co-wrote with fellow DGA member Bethany Rooney.

Mary Lou served two terms as the Co-chair of the Women's Steering Committee at the DGA where she also has served on the Western Director's Council, presently she is on Leadership Council PAC, Ethics and Negotiations committees, and as an alternate to the National Board. She is an Honorary Board member of the Alliance of Women Directors and Advisory Board member of Women in Media and a long time member of Women In Film.

updated 12.8.22