A dramatized biopic about Shante 's life , '' Roxanne Roxanne '' , was first shown at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival . It received critical acclaim and the lead actress Chanté Adams won best breakout performance for her portrayal of Shante . The film was co-produced by Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams , and written and directed by Michael Larnell . It was bought by the film studio Neon for general release later in 2017
2017 Sundance Film Festival
2017 Sundance Film Festival
Roxanne Shante