About Us

Ninth Hour Inc is an independent production company founded by Karimah Westbrook.
 
Karimah Westbrook is a director, producer, writer, and actress whose career spans television, film, and theater. Best known for her six-season series regular role as Grace James on All American, Westbrook created her production company to take greater ownership of her creative journey, to create opportunities for herself and other artists while telling the stories she is passionate about bringing to the screen.
 
Inspired by the impact of Jordan Peele’s Get Out, Westbrook began exploring directing and seized an opportunity to helm a concept film when no director was available. The result was New Growth, her directorial debut and a short film conceived as a precursor to a feature of the same name. The film screened in the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner and won Best Comedy Short at the Top Shorts Film Festival, leading to her securing representation as a director. She has since directed two episodes of All American for Warner Bros. Entertainment and shadowed directors Michael Schultz, Kelli Williams, and Daisy von Scherler Mayer from prep through post.
 
As a producer and creator, Westbrook has co-written, produced, and starred in Best Kept Secret, as well as produced the award-winning short A Fire in Dovecot, Watts & Volts, and Pastor Stuart. Most recently, she created Dream House, an anthology fantasy-drama short series, directing three episodes while creating opportunities for emerging actors and filmmakers.
 
A graduate of the DGA AASC The Learning Tree directing mentorship program, Westbrook is a member of the Alliance of Women Directors and a Film Independent Project Involve fellow. Through her production company, she is focused on developing and producing original film and television projects, partnering with talented creatives, and creating space for distinctive, character-driven stories. Her experience as an actor gives her a distinct ability to connect with performers, while her producing and directing experience allows her to shepherd a project from concept through execution.