Amil Shivji
{{Short description|Tanzanian filmmaker}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Amil Shivji
| image = Director Amil Shivji Headshot.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth year and age |1990}}
| birth_place = Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| citizenship = {{flag|Tanzania}}
| father = Issa Shivji
| education = Master of Fine Arts (MFA), York University, Canada
| occupation = Filmmaker
| notable_works = Tug of War (Vuta N'Kuvute) (2021)
T-Junction (2017)
| awards = Tanit d'or, Carthage Film Festival, 2022
| website = {{URL |www.kijiweniproductions.com}}
}}
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, Shivji's roots can be traced back to Zanzibar. 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.{{Cite web|title=Amil Shivji (T-Junction)|url=https://www.atlantafilmfestival.com/amil-shivji|access-date=2021-11-21|website=Atlanta Film Festival|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121212101/https://www.atlantafilmfestival.com/amil-shivji|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=Amil Shivji {{!}} IFFR|url=https://iffr.com/en/persons/amil-shivji|access-date=2021-11-21|website=iffr.com}} He is the founder of Kijiweni Productions, a production company, and Kijiweni Cinema.{{Cite web|title=Amil Shivji (T-Junction)|url=https://www.atlantafilmfestival.com/amil-shivji|access-date=2021-11-21|website=Atlanta Film Festival|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121212101/https://www.atlantafilmfestival.com/amil-shivji|url-status=dead}}
Shivji launched his career with two short fiction films, Shoeshine (2013) and Samaki Mchangani (2014).{{Cite web|title=Films from Africa: Personen-Details|url=http://www.filme-aus-afrika.de/EN/film-database/persons/personen-details/w/2921/|access-date=2021-11-21|website=www.filme-aus-afrika.de|archive-date=2021-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121193840/http://www.filme-aus-afrika.de/EN/film-database/persons/personen-details/w/2921/|url-status=dead}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Tug of War|url=http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/projects/grants/tug-of-war|access-date=2021-11-21|website=Doha Film Institute|language=en-US}}
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. In 2021, he released Vuta N’Kuvute (Tug of War), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.{{Cite web|title=Tug of War|url=https://www.tiff.net/events/tug-of-war|access-date=2021-11-21|website=TIFF|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Vourlias|first=Christopher|date=2021-09-12|title=Tanzania's Amil Shivji on Love and Resistance in Toronto Film Festival Period Drama 'Tug of War'|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/global/tug-of-war-toronto-1235058539/|access-date=2021-11-21|website=Variety|language=en-US}}
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){{Cite web|date=2021-09-27|title=Tanzanian Filmmaker Amil Shiviji is Making History with a Story of Love and Resistance|url=https://www.okayafrica.com/tanzania-tiff-siviji-tug-of-war/|access-date=2021-11-21|website=OkayAfrica|language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|5065217}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shivji, Amil}}
Category:Tanzanian film directors
Category:People from Dar es Salaam