I have been working in the film industry for nearly two decades as a film curator, public speaker and social impact producer. I believe that film is the most powerful medium of our times and see it largely as a force for good.
I am motivated by filmmaking for social change and enjoy championing lesser-known filmmakers and film forms that audiences typically miss in the midst of an intensely competitive film space.
My entry into the film industry started somewhat accidentally. I was invited to run a monthly film club at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in the early noughties and have not stopped since! It did not take me long to realise the immense joy I experienced from watching niche films with an appreciative crowd and the discussions that would ensue after.
Over the years I have held many a Q&A with filmmakers from a range of creative persuasions. Public speaking comes naturally to me and I find it exciting to be in dialogue with industry colleagues, filmmakers and audiences simultaneously. It has been a real pleasure to co-host the EFM Insights podcast in recent years, an opportunity that has enabled me to extend my knowledge on all manner of film related subjects.
My favourite genre is art house. I am at my happiest in a dark cinema surrounded by fellow film worshippers being collectively lost in the joys of seeing the real and imaginary play itself out on the big screen. I am always thrilled when an auteur takes me into a place, experience or culture where I am challenged, turned inside out and left pondering on the absurdity of life. Film festivals are my natural habitat.
Since 2014 I have advocated for alternative Nigerian cinema which I refer to as BEYOND NOLLYWOOD. Despite the success of commercial Nollywood – the content Nigeria is chiefly known for – I believe that the world is yet to truly see Nigeria on the big screen in its geographic vastness, cultural complexity and multifaceted soundscape. BEYOND NOLLYWOOD has been my humble attempt to awaken international audiences to the potential of film forms from this part of the world.
Dr June Givanni, the pioneering film curator and archivist is someone that I regard as a mentor and I have spent many an indulgent moment in her company at her pan-African cinema archive.
I have a love of learning through books, film and art. I studied Modern History at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford and am an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter.
Film runs in my blood. My late father Menelik Shabazz the veteran Black British filmmaker is widely known for his seminal work Burning An Illusion, which was restored by the BFI in 2022.
Outside of film I enjoy art history and deliver public tours on 17th and 18th Baroque, Rococo and Neo-classical art at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
My film event, speaking and writing credits are many and can be viewed across the multiple pages of this site. Thanks for stopping by!
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