# Dede Gardner

Dorcas Wright "Dede" Gardner (born October 16, 1967) is an American film producer. She was president since the founding of Plan B Entertainment and currently serving as Co-President with Jeremy Kleiner since 2013. She has won Oscars for producing the films 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Moonlight (2016), becoming the first woman to win two Oscars for Best Picture. She has also been nominated in the category for The Tree of Life (2011), Selma (2014), The Big Short (2015), Vice (2018), Women Talking (2022), and Nickel Boys (2024).

## Early life

She is the daughter of Dorothy and John Gardner, of Chicago, Illinois. She graduated cum laude from Columbia University in 1990. Her classmates included television showrunners Jeff Rake and Gina Fattore. Her father is a partner at the Chicago investment bank William Blair & Company; her mother is president of the Michael Reese Health Trust.

## Personal life

In 2000, she married Jonathan Boris Berg in an Episcopalian ceremony on Martha's Vineyard.

## Filmography

She was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

### Film

| Year | Film | Credit | Ref. |
| 2006 | Running with Scissors | | |
| 2007 | Year of the Dog | | |
| 2007 | A Mighty Heart | | |
| 2007 | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford | | |
| 2009 | The Private Lives of Pippa Lee | | |
| 2009 | The Time Traveler's Wife | | |
| 2010 | Eat Pray Love | | |
| 2011 | The Tree of Life | | |
| 2012 | Killing Them Softly | | |
| 2013 | World War Z | | |
| 2013 | 12 Years a Slave | | |
| 2014 | Nightingale | Executive producer | |
| 2014 | Selma | | |
| 2015 | True Story | | |
| 2015 | The Big Short | | |
| 2016 | Moonlight | | |
| 2016 | The Lost City of Z | | |
| 2017 | Okja | | |
| 2017 | War Machine | | |
| 2017 | Brad's Status | | |
| 2018 | Beautiful Boy | | |
| 2018 | If Beale Street Could Talk | | |
| 2018 | Vice | | |
| 2019 | The Last Black Man in San Francisco | | |
| 2019 | Ad Astra | | |
| 2019 | The King | | |
| 2020 | Kajillionaire | | |
| 2020 | Minari | | |
| 2020 | Irresistible | | |
| 2022 | Father of the Bride | | |
| 2022 | Women Talking | | |
| 2022 | Blonde | | |
| 2022 | She Said | | |
| 2023 | Landscape with Invisible Hand | | |
| 2024 | Bob Marley: One Love | | |
| 2024 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | | |
| 2024 | Apocalypse in the Tropics | Executive producer | |
| 2024 | Wolfs | | |
| 2024 | Nickel Boys | | |
| 2025 | Mickey 17 | | |
| 2025 | Olmo | Producer | It was screened in Panorama at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2025. |
| 2025 | F1 | | |
| TBA | The Tiger | | |
| TBA | Wizards! | | |
| TBA | Wrong Answer | | |

#### Location management

| Year | Film | Role |
| 1992 | Mac | Location assistant |
| 1993 | Three of Hearts | Location manager: New York |

#### Thanks

| Year | Film | Role |
| 2004 | See This Movie | Many thanks |
| 2016 | The Tiger Hunter | Thanks |
| 2017 | Marrowbone | The director wishes to thank |

### Television

| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
| 2008 | Pretty/Handsome | Executive producer | Television pilot |
| 2014 | Deadbeat | | |
| 2014 | The Normal Heart | Executive producer | Television film |
| 2014 | POV | Executive producer | Documentary |
| 2014 | Resurrection | Executive producer | |
| 2016 | Mamma Dallas | Executive producer | Television pilot |
| 2017 | Feud | Executive producer | |
| 2017 | Monsters of God | Executive producer | Television pilot |
| 2016−19 | The OA | Executive producer | |
| 2018−19 | Sweetbitter | Executive producer | |
| 2020 | The Third Day: Autumn | Executive producer | Television special |
| 2020 | The Third Day | Executive producer | |
| 2021 | The Underground Railroad | Executive producer | |
| 2020−21 | Lego Masters | Executive producer | |
| 2022 | Outer Range | Executive producer | |
| 2022 | Paper Girls | Executive producer | |
| 2022 | High School | Executive producer | |
| 2024 | 3 Body Problem | Executive producer | |
| 2025 | Adolescence | Executive producer | |
| TBA | Wytches | | |

## Awards and nominations

In 2012, Gardner and her fellow producers were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for The Tree of Life. In 2014, she won the Academy Award for Best Picture for the movie 12 Years a Slave alongside co-producers Brad Pitt, Steve McQueen, Jeremy Kleiner and Anthony Katagas. In 2015, she was nominated once again for the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing Selma alongside fellow producers Oprah Winfrey, Jeremy Kleiner, and Christian Colson. In 2017, she won her second Academy Award for Best Picture for the movie, Moonlight. She becomes the first female producer to win two Academy Awards for Best Picture.
Academy Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2011 | Best Picture | The Tree of Life | Nominated |
| 2013 | Best Picture | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2014 | Best Picture | Selma | Nominated |
| 2015 | Best Picture | The Big Short | Nominated |
| 2016 | Best Picture | Moonlight | Won |
| 2018 | Best Picture | Vice | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Picture | Women Talking | Nominated |
| 2024 | Best Picture | Nickel Boys | Nominated |
AACTA International Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2011 | Best Film | The Tree of Life | Nominated |
| 2013 | Best Film | 12 Years a Slave | Nominated |
| 2015 | Best Film | The Big Short | Nominated |
AFI Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2011 | Top 10 Films | The Tree of Life | Won |
| 2013 | Top 10 Films | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2014 | Top 10 Films | Selma | Won |
| 2015 | Top 10 Films | The Big Short | Won |
| 2016 | Top 10 Films | Moonlight | Won |
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2013 | Best Picture | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2014 | Best Picture | Selma | Nominated |
American Black Film Festival
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2013 | Movie of the Year | 12 Years a Slave | Nominated |
Awards Circuit Community Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2007 | Best Motion Picture | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford | Nominated |
| 2011 | Best Motion Picture | The Tree of Life | Nominated |
| 2013 | Best Motion Picture | 12 Years a Slave | Nominated |
| 2014 | Best Motion Picture | Selma | Nominated |
Black Reel Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2013 | Best Film | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2014 | Best Film | Selma | Won |
| 2016 | Best Film | Moonlight | Won |
British Academy Film Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2013 | Best Film | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2015 | Best Film | The Big Short | Nominated |
| 2016 | Best Film | Moonlight | Nominated |
CinEuphoria Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2013 | Best International Film | 12 Years a Slave | Nominated |
Golden Raspberry Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2023 | Worst Picture | Blonde | Won |
Gotham Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2011 | Best Feature | The Tree of Life | Won |
| 2013 | Best Feature | 12 Years a Slave | Nominated |
| 2013 | Audience Award | 12 Years a Slave | Nominated |
Independent Spirit Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2007 | Best Film | A Mighty Heart | Nominated |
| 2013 | Best Film | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2014 | Best Film | Selma | Nominated |
Italian Online Movie Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2013 | Best Picture | 12 Years a Slave | Nominated |
Online Film & Television Association Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2007 | Best Picture | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford | Nominated |
| 2013 | Best Picture | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2014 | Best Picture | Selma | Nominated |
| 2015 | Best Picture | The Big Short | Nominated |
Primetime Emmy Awards
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2014 | Outstanding Television Movie | The Normal Heart | Won |
| 2015 | Outstanding Television Movie | Nightingale | Nominated |
Producers Guild of America
| Year | Category | Title | Result |
| 2013 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | 12 Years a Slave | Won |
| 2014 | Best Long-Form Television | The Normal Heart | Nominated |
| 2014 | Stanley Kramer Award | The Normal Heart | Won |
| 2014 | Visionary Award | Visionary Award | Won |
| 2015 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | The Big Short | Won |
| 2016 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Moonlight | Nominated |
| 2018 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Vice | Nominated |