Zambia / UK

Rungano Nyoni is a Zambian-Welsh director and screenwriter. Nyoni was born in Lusaka, Zambia to Merill Mutale (née Nyoni) and Thomas Nyoni. They chose to name her Rungano, which in the Shona language native to Zimbabwe means “storyteller”. When she was nine years old her family migrated to Wales. She attended the University of Birmingham, where she received a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Studies. After finishing her studies at the University of Birmingham, Nyoni decided to study acting at the University of the Arts London. During her time there she was drawn to scripting and to work behind the camera, but retained her desire to act. Nyoni went on to complete her master's degree in Drama and in 2009, graduated from Saint Martin's School of Art with a master's degree in Acting. In 2006 Nyoni released her first film Yande (meaning "My Great Happiness" in Bemba), which she wrote and shot on black and white super 8mm film. She released her next two short films, 20 Questions and The List in 2009; the latter won a BAFTA Cymru Award in 2010. Her fourth film, Mwansa the Great, was released in 2011 and was selected to screen at over 100 international film festivals. It was well received at the festivals and won over 20 prizes and was nominated for a 2012 BAFTA Award. In 2017 Nyoni released her first feature-length fiction film, I Am Not a Witch, which was selected to screen at the Directors' Fortnight of Cannes Film Festival 2017. The film went on to win Nyoni the awards for Best Director and Best Debut Director at the 20th British Independent Film Awards in 2017. Biography Source

Filmography

The List (2009)
Mwansa the Great (2011)
The Mass of Men (2012)
Africa First: Volume Two (2012)
Z1 (2013)
Listen (2014)
I Am Not a Witch (2017)