Heart Land

Sheri Mann Stewart, Director/Executive Producer/Co-Writer.

Sheri has performed as a SAG-AFTRA actor for over four decades in multiple studio feature films, shorts, Indies, TV productions and live theater and has served on the Board of Directors for the union. She was trained as an actor by Stella Adler, one of the most famed Master teachers of our times, and now takes pride in teaching and coaching actors, as well. In 2023, Sheri achieved a lifelong dream, traveling to the Cannes Film Festival with a starring role in the short "Nana Dara is Gay", screened at the Cannes American Pavilion and since screening throughout the U.S., including Atlanta's Out On Film, and receiving an Audience Award for Best Film at Outfest, Ft. Lauderdale. Sheri tends to be most recognized from her roles as Professor Stewart in Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married" and "Why Did I Get Married Too" and as wacky rental car agent Sandy with Jack Lemmon and James Garner in "My Fellow Americans". She was featured in the StarZ network's "Hightown" and Comedy Central's series, "Review" and starred in "Plan B", recently awarded Best Comedy at the Southern Shorts Fest.

Having started as a stand-in and photo double in Hollywood films in the eighties, over the past decades, Sheri has added credits as actor in starring roles, writer, producer and various crew positions in multiple award-winning short films, several of which have been broadcast on GPB. She is a co-writer and co-producer of Skin Deep: The Series (the first and only 10 episodes can be seen at skindeeptheseries.com). RIP, Show Runner/Creator David Summers.

Sheri has become a production acting and vocal coach and teacher of same to students of all ages in NY and Atlanta via her positions for 20 years on the Acting Faculty at the Tony Award Winning Alliance Theater, Theater Faculty at Emory University and Goizueta School, Film Faculty at The Art Institute, and as voice teacher at Baruch College and Acting Instructor at her private studio in Atlanta. She is also honored to have been chosen to be a multi-year judge for Kenny Leon's True Colors Theater's August Wilson acting competition and for the Governor's Honors Program in Theater. Sheri graduated from the Catholic University of America's Theater and Psychology programs, later completing a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. Over the years, Sheri has been honored to serve on various panels at film festivals, including Writers' Panel, "Film in GA" Panel, "Women in Film" Panel, and serve as moderator of an Actors' Panel. A proud mother, Sheri's two young adult sons, Tendal and Royce Mann, have enjoyed successful careers as youth actors and filmmakers (and Royce as a spoken word poet and political activist), as well. Heart Land is Sheri's film directorial debut.