Patrik-Ian Polk is a film director, screenwriter, and producer. Polk, who is openly gay, is noted for his films and theatre work that explores the experiences and stories of Black LGBTQ people. In 2016, Polk was included in the Los Angeles Times Diverse 100 list, which described him as "the man bringing black gay stories to screens large and small." Polk made his feature film directorial debut with 2000's Punks, an independent film that he also wrote and produced. Punks had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2004, Polk created the television series "Noah's Arc," which made its debut on Logo in October 2005 and ran for two seasons. In discussing his inspiration for the series in an interview, Polk said "I wanted to see black gay characters and there were none on TV. So I decided rather than complain about it, I'd do it myself." After the series' cancellation, Polk wrote, directed, and produced a film spin-off, Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, which was released theatrically in 2008. His subsequent feature films, The Skinny, starring Jussie Smollett, and Blackbird, starring Mo'Nique and Isaiah Washington, were released in 2012 and 2015, following festival runs. Polk received his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, then went on to study at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinema and Television.