Adia Ivey writes intimate stories of connection, self-discovery, and intergenerational healing. They blend visceral textures of sci-fi, horror, and magical surrealism to affirm that we do not have to face the world alone. Through their documentary background, they use photography as a means of archiving memories and preserving history.

Interning at Kartemquin sparked Ivey’s interest in impact producing, leading to co-founding The Reservoir Collective, a mutual-aid collective for underrepresented artists. In 2024, they hosted five local screenings and partnered with other Chicago organizations for gear swaps and workshops. Ivey’s fellowship with OpenTelevision (2021) led to the development of MANIFOLD, a docuseries that follows the stories of Chicago's Black and Queer artists, organizers, and everyday people. The series has screened at Reeling, Black Alphabet, Flip The Script, Gary International Black Film Festival, and Irepetra International Documentary Festival. MANIFOLD is available on OTV’s streaming platform. 

In recent years, Ivey was a semifinalist for New Fest + Concord’s Sound & Scene program, selected for Cinephilia Productions’ Writer’s Workroom, and invited to GLAAD’s Black Queer Creative Summit. Through AFI’s producing program (Class of 2025), they developed two feature films and produced their thesis film NIGHT FEEDS. Most recently, they directed a pilot for the upcoming web series, @JazzDoingTh1ngs an absurdist comedy about an overcompensating hairstylist who talks herself into compromising situations. When they are not making films, they’re either hiking, taking photos, painting, or trying to learn how to surf (and most likely falling off their board, but that’s okay).