Zach Niles, is an

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

and

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

. He is best known as the director and producer of the critically acclaimed film ''

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars (also called Refugee All Stars) is a band from Sierra Leone which was formed by a group of refugees displaced to Guinea during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Since their return to Freetown in 2004, the band has to ...

''. Apart from acting, he is also a strategist, entertainment producer and a social justice advocate.

Personal life

He is a graduate of

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

. He has lived and worked in South Africa and Cameroon for a long period of time. During these years on African soil, he generated personal and professional interest in the music and culture of Africa. From 2011 until 2016, he lived in Haiti. He currently lives in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

Career

From 1998 to 2004, he was involved in music, and was part of the production and promotion of renowned rock music bands tours of The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Simon and Garfunkel. In 2000, he served as the associate producer for the eight-part television series, ''Live At The Fillmore'', aired on the UPN Television Network. With the success of the television series, he turned to filmmaking. In 2005, he became the producer, director and writer for the film ''

'' along with

Banker White Banker White, is an American filmmaker and film producer. He is best known as the director and producer of the critically acclaimed films '' Survivors'', ''The Genius of Marian'' and '' Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars''. Personal life His fathe ...

. The film rotates about the

musical band composed entirely of

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

s from

Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...

displaced to

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

during the 1991-2002 civil war in

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

. The film received critical acclaim and won awards at 12 international film festivals. The film had its premiere in November 2005 in Los Angeles at the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

's Film Fest, winning the Grand Jury Prize for best documentary. He is also the co-founder of a film and multi-media educational program entitled 'WeOwnTV' founded for disadvantaged youth in

Freetown, Sierra Leone Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...

Partial filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Niles, Zach Living people American television producers American film directors Middlebury College alumni Year of birth missing (living people)

Personal life

Career

Partial filmography

See also

References

External links