Abbesi Akhamie
Writer. Director. Producer. Educator.
Born in Heidelberg, Germany, Abbesi Akhamie is a Nigerian-American writer/director, producer, educator working between Lagos and Washington D.C. She received her MFA in Film from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and also holds a BA in Communications from George Mason University.
Maba Ba
Producer. Actor. Filmmaker. Joyedidi Productions.
Maba Ba is a Senegalese-born filmmaker, actor, and producer based in New York. His journey into storytelling began in his youth, entertaining family with tales during power outages in Senegal. After studying computer science, he moved to New York, where he immersed himself in film, 3D animation, and acting.
Ekwa Msangi
Writer. Director. Producer
Ekwa Msangi is a Tanzanian and American filmmaker whose award-winning and critically acclaimed feature film Farewell Amor premiered in competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, garnering 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, is being distributed by IFC Films (North America), MUBI and Netflix Africa (Worldwide). Msangi has written and directed for both television and film, and along her journey has been awarded the NYWIFT Director’s Award, the 2020 Durban International Film Festival award for Best Screenplay, and was named a 2020 Sundance Momentum Fellow as well as a 2020 BAFTA Breakthrough.
Most recently Msangi won the 2021 Indie Spirit “Someone To Watch” Award.