Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

[3][4] Raised in the metro area, he attended the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Simien worked a number of jobs in Los Angeles prior to directing his first feature film, including social media manager at Sony Television, publicity assistant at Focus Features, and publicity coordinator at Paramount Pictures.

[2] On May 5, 2016, Lionsgate announced a deal to produce a Dear White People television series based on the film and distributed through Netflix with the show's first ten episodes to be written by Simien.

[16] The New York Times praised the series' examination of concerns such as appropriation, assimilation, and conflict.

[29] In April 2021, Simien signed on to direct a new film adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction The Haunted Mansion.

[33] Later that month, it was reported that Simien had departed Lando due to commitments to Haunted Mansion.

[8] At the 2014 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Dear White People, Simien publicly announced he is gay.

[7][8] On Celebrity Family Feud season 9, episode 3, portrait photographer/comedian Rick Proctor was identified as Simien’s husband.