Francesca Andre is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, author and TEDx speaker, known for creating richly emotional work which tackles the complexities of human life and relationships. Through her pen, Andre writes and produces stories that spark conversations that have the capacity to lead to real change and impact. Through her camera lens, Andre invites you to a world full of beauty, color, passion, and triumph.
Andre began her career in 2008 as a freelance photographer, before becoming the founder of Creative Group 21, as well as the co-founder and creative director of Optik 21, a creative agency offering high-quality photography and video services. Her photography work has been published in outlets such as Forbes, the New York Post, Connecticut Post, Daily Mail, Black Enterprise and Ebony Magazine. Her directorial work includes Charcoal, an award-winning short film which captures the stories of two Black women as they embark on a lifelong journey to overcome internalized colorism, find self-acceptance, and ultimately find redemption. The film screened at several domestic and international film festivals and was featured by various outlets including Essence, ThinkProgress, Ebony Magazine and Connecticut Post. In 2018, Francesca Andre was named one of “40 under 40” high achievers by Connecticut Magazine.
Francesca earned a Masters in Film and Television from Sacred Heart University and currently serves on Sacred Heart University’s Board of Visitors. Last year, Andre released the first installment of a children’s book series that empowers children of color. “I am a Phenomenal Black Boy” defies societal stereotypes by encouraging young black boys to be unapologetic about their identity, magic, history and brilliance through its prose and poetry, and highlights the contributions that powerful Black male and female figures have made to humanity. She is working on the next installments in this children book series that will be released early 2022.. She is married to Gustavo Azael Torres and the proud mother of their Son Gustavo-Limye Torres.
