Tanya Selvaratnam

About Tanya Selvaratnam

I was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Long Beach, CA. I got my start in the arts and social justice assisting Anna Deavere Smith on the development of “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” about the human toll of the L.A. riots, and then serving on the steering committee for the NGO Forum/Fourth World Conference on Women in China in 1995. Highlights as a producer/director of films, shows, and events include working with: the Ms. Foundation\'s Women of Vision Awards, Joy To The Polls, Glamour Women of the Year, The Meteor, Planned Parenthood on the Webby winning UNSTOPPABLE campaign, Professor Sarah Lewis on the Vision & Justice Project, Mickalene Thomas on her film “Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman” (HBO premiere 2014), the Rubell Family Collection on the opening of 10 exhibitions (20••••17), Aubin Pictures on films such as the Emmy nominated “Born to Fly” (SXSW premiere 2012, PBS broadcast) and “AGGIE” (Sundance premiere 2020, Film Forum/theatrical distribution - Strand Releasing), the Emmy nominated and GLAAD Media Award nominated \"Love to the Max\"(Outstanding Short Documentary, The New Yorker premiere 2025), and Carrie Mae Weems on shows and convenings such as “Grace Notes: Reflections for Now” at the Kennedy Center and “The Shape of Things” at the Park Avenue Armory. I’ve written two books,\"Assume Nothing\" and \"The Big Lie\", and essays for the New York Times, NBC News, McSweeney\'s, Vogue, Glamour, Cosmo, ELLE, The Art Newspaper, and CNN; been a featured guest on CNN, MSNBC, Good Morning America, The Tamron Hall Show, NewsNation, Fox News, Al Jazeera, NPR, WNYC, KCRW, Sirius XM, Talk Radio Europe, WNET, and CBS Radio News; and spoken at conferences around the world, such as various United Nations and World Health Organization events, Aspen Ideas Festival, New York Film Festival, Brooklyn Book Festival, and Skoll World Forum.

Experience

1. Professional Speaker

   Creative Artists Agency

   Jan 2021 — Present

Education

• Harvard University

  Master's degree, Regional Studies (East Asia)

  1994 — 1996

• Harvard University

  Bachelor's degree, East Asian Languages and Civilizations

  1988 — 1992