Parade / UTCM Roundtable

Chris Bournea (bor-NAY) is a writer and filmmaker based in Columbus, Ohio. He directed the documentary “Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring.” The documentary chronicles the accomplishments of trailblazing African-American women who integrated professional wrestling in the 1950s and ‘60s, such as Babs Wingo, Ethel Johnson, Marva Scott, Ramona Isbell and Kathleen Wimbley.

Bournea wrote and directed the feature film “Things Are Tough All Over,” a drama about a Chicago family struggling through the Great Recession of 2008. The movie will be released in 2025.

Bournea co-wrote the nonfiction book “All Jokes Aside,” which chronicles the famous Chicago comedy club of the same name. The club served as a star factory in the 1990s, launching the careers of famous comedians such as Ohioans Dave Chappelle and Steve Harvey, Mo’Nique, Chris Rock, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, and many others.

Bournea is the author of the fiction series “The Chloe Chronicles,” about a young woman of color making her way in the cutthroat entertainment industry. He also wrote and directed the play “The Springtime of Our Lives,” a contemporary, urban take on Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet.”

Bournea is also a journalist who is currently a writer and editor for Ohio State News, The Ohio State University’s news site.