Taking a look at this years Directors
Wapah Ezeigwe
Wapah Ezeigwe is an Igbo filmmaker. They graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where they studied Literature which had an impact on their artistic identity as a filmmaker. They later earned a scholarship to take a course with the Sundance Collab and was selected by the Multichoice Talent Factory to be amongst the 20 West African filmmakers to be trained in its film academy. COUNTRY LOVE is their debut short film and had screened in festivals notably Oscar qualifying Out On Film Festival, Atlanta and the Canadian Screen award qualifying Vancouver Queer film Festival. Wapah’s work constantly explores queerness and the queer experience within the African context.
Zoey Black
Zoey Black is a queer transgender woman of colour living in Cape Town, South Africa. She is a YouTuber, filmmaker, and human rights activist. Zoey graduated from the University of Cape Town as a trained professional actress and has over a decade of experience in live performance, filmmaking and social activism. She is a creative director and filmmaker, focussed on telling queer stories, helping organisations and businesses grow their community, reach and impact. Zoey is also a content creator on YouTube. Her channel aims to address and explore social and lifestyle issues pertaining to the LGBTQIA+ community, specifically around the experiences of transgender and gender diverse people, using filmmaking as means to tell stories.
Anathi Siyungu
Anathi Siyungu (born 16th December 1993) is a Writer, Producer, Director, and an Editor. Anathi Siyungu was born in a small village called Greyspan which is in Lady Frere under Eastern Cape, matriculated in Thembelihle Senior School in 2012 and graduated in City Varsity where he studied Film and Television in the year 2016, after graduation he tried being involved as much as can, volunteering in some productions, writing scripts and directing music videos for friends, he then proceeded to start his own production company called AnathiSiyunguFilms in the year 2021 where he wanted to tell Queer stories, his sexuality had a big part to play in the decision but also seeing that there was little to no representation in the industry when it comes to queer stories, he wanted to do something about that, growing up and longing to see someone who look like him was something he longed for as a young boy from the rural areas who was battling with his sexuality, he wanted someone/something to affirm him that there was nothing wrong with him, so the birth of this production was to do just that for other young queer kids growing after him. The production have created few projects and one of them being is Mjita Wam (My Guy) a short film released in 2022, and the film was received very well which was the motivation he needed to keep going, ever since then, Anathi has been working non-stop to try and break into the industry so that his stories can reach a wider audience and inspire more queer kids and allies.
Bonie Sithebe
Bonie Sithebe is a producer with five years experience in a film industry, a founder and co-owner of a film, video and television production company Durban Motion Pictures established in 2005.