Biography
Cliff Divine is a French-born American actor, performer, filmmaker, writer, director, and comedian whose work bridges cinema, performance, and social impact. Known for blending emotional storytelling with humor and human connection, he has emerged as a distinctive voice in contemporary independent film and nonfiction storytelling.
He first gained international attention as the founder of the #Connect Peace Movement, a grassroots movement built around a signature physical gesture and the sound "Mm-Hmm," created to inspire human connection, peace, and unity. The movement traveled through all 50 U.S. states and was covered by major networks including CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and KTLA. It drew support from a wide range of cultural and civic figures, including Kamala Harris, Anderson Cooper, Cory Booker, Herbie Hancock, George Miller, John Lewis, Euzhan Palcy, Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, and Barack Obama.
In 2024, Cliff Divine expanded this work by founding the Reconnect Love Movement that he now solely lead with his team, a global movement centered on Laughter, Oneness, and Love as tools for healing and collective reconnection.
As an actor, Cliff Divine has appeared in lead roles in both short and feature films, earning recognition for emotionally grounded performances. His lead role in Samir (2014) won the Public Prize at the Generation Court Festival, presided over by filmmaker Luc Besson. He later received an Honorary Mention for Best Actor for his performance as Mo in the feature film Kids With Guns (2019), highlighting his ability to portray complex, psychologically intense characters.
Cliff Divine trained in screenwriting, directing, producing, and editing at the International Film School of Paris (EICAR). In 2023, he founded Memory Studios, a Los Angeles-based production company producing narrative films, documentaries, and branded content across film, music, fashion, and digital media.
His filmmaking work has screened at festivals including the Cannes Short Film Corner, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Nikon Festival, and Saint-Maur Festival, with several short films broadcast internationally on TV5 Monde across France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Africa. His short film The Gentlemen’s Castle was entered into the archives of the Paris Museum of Immigration as the first film in France to spotlight the Congolese African cultural and fashion movement of "Sapologie".
Cliff Divine’s work has been influenced by narrative theorists such as Robert McKee, John Truby, and Joseph Campbell, as well as by mentors including Oscar-honored filmmaker Euzhan Palcy. In 2022, Palcy publicly acknowledged Divine’s activism and filmmaking at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Governors Awards, inviting him to co-write her honorary Oscar acceptance speech, presented alongside Viola Davis.
His acting training includes studies at Acting International in Paris and under Method Acting pioneer Jack Garfein in Los Angeles, as well as mentorship from Molière Award-winning director Oscar Sisto. He also trained in dance at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and in vocal performance, expanding his expressive range through movement, rhythm, and music as part of his multidisciplinary storytelling.
In addition to film and activism, Cliff Divine performs as a stand-up comedian and character artist, using humor as a narrative tool to bring lightness and accessibility to emotionally heavy subject matter. He is showrunning and developing the nonfiction docuseries Mm-Hmm! 50 States of Violence to Peace and collaborating with French composer Franck Rapp on the forthcoming Reconnect Album, continuing to explore the intersection of storytelling, music, and human reconnection to spread laughter, oneness, and love worldwide.
