Justin Tipping

Biography

Justin Tipping is an American writer, director, and producer who builds his storytelling around identity, culture, and inequality. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, raised in a home with Filipino (Ilocano and Visayan) and Scandinavian (Swedish and Danish) roots, and his multicultural background deeply shapes his work. He earned a BA in Film and Media Studies at University of California Santa Barbara, and later an MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute Conservatory. His early work includes the short film Nani, which won a Student Academy Award. His feature directorial debut was Kicks (2016), a coming-of-age drama about a teen whose prized sneakers are stolen, forcing him to confront issues of masculinity, violence, and respect. On television, Tipping has directed and produced episodes for series like The Chi, Dear White People, Run the World, Flatbush Misdemeanors, Twenties, and Joe vs. Carole. His newest film HIM, produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, stars Marlon Wayans and is set for theatrical release in September 2025. Across genres, he focuses on characters and stories from underheard communities, drawn to the tension between systemic injustice and personal resilience.