Amil Shivji (born 1990) is a Tanzanian filmmaker. His films generally tackle misrepresentations of Africa and its history, as well as the theme of
neocolonialism.
Biography and career
Born in
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
, Shivi's roots can be traced back to
Zanzibar
Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
. Often visiting as a child, he frequently draws inspiration from the island. Before launching his film career, Shivji worked as a journalist and radio host. He is the founder of Kijiweni Productions, a production company, and Kijiweni Cinema.
Shivji launched his career with two short fiction films, ''Shoeshine'' (2013) and ''Samaki Mchangani'' (2014). Both films participated in a number of international film festivals including the
Rotterdam International Film Festival and the
Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso.
In 2015, he produced feature film ''Aisha,'' also screened internationally. The filmmaker's prize-winning feature directorial debut ''T-Junction'' (2017) opened the prestigious
Zanzibar International Film Festival
The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa. ZIFF is a non-governmental organization esta ...
. In 2021, he released ''
Vuta N’Kuvute (Tug of War),'' which premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
.
Filmography
Short films
* 2012: ''Who Killed Me''
* 2013: ''Shoeshine''
* 2014: ''Samaki Mchangani''
Feature films
* 2015: ''Aisha''
(as producer)
* 2017: ''T-Junction''
* 2021: ''
Vuta N’Kuvute (Tug of War)''
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shivji, Amil
Tanzanian film directors
Tanzanian filmmakers
1990 births
Living people
People from Dar es Salaam
Tanzanian people of Indian descent
Khoja Ismailism
Gujarati people