Kimberly Steward Just Scored Her First Oscar Nod for Producing 'Manchester by the Sea'

Kimberly Steward just earned an Oscar nomination for producing her first film "Manchester by the Sea." The film has been a critical darling and earned a total of six Oscar nominations.

Steward financed the film through her company, K Period Media. Its final budget was $8 million, and Amazon Studios acquired the film for $10 Million after its Sundance debut in 2016.
The St. Louis-native runs K Period Media with her partner Lauren Beck. They're working together to produce films that might not find an audience elsewhere.  Steward told Variety that she wants to use her power to help Black creators.

“The industry is starving for lead roles for black characters,” she said.  “I think that as a financier, I hope to bring more opportunities for diversity to the market — not only on the screen, but also behind the screen.”

Steward is only the second Black woman to be nominated as a film producer. Oprah Winfrey became the first for her work on Selma.