A.A.V. Amasi is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a leader in the field of independent African cinema. Born and raised in Nigeria, Amasi left his home country to pursue his dreams of making films and eventually settled in the United States.
Amasi earned his undergraduate degree in film production from the University of California, Los Angeles and his master's degree in film directing from the American Film Institute. It was during his time at the AFI that he began to focus his work on documentary filmmaking. His thesis film, "The Making of an African King", won several awards at film festivals around the world and established his career as a documentary filmmaker.
Since then, Amasi has gone on to create more than a dozen feature-length documentaries, most of which have focused on Africa and the African diaspora. His films have tackled a range of topics, from the struggles of African immigrants in the United States to the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. His work has been lauded for its ability to capture the nuances of life in different African communities and to tell stories that often go unheard.
Amasi's films have been screened at festivals and museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Durban International Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival. He has also been honored with numerous awards and grants, including a Fulbright Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Rockefeller Fellowship.
Amasi is also a passionate teacher and mentor. He has taught film production and documentary filmmaking at various universities and workshops, including the American Film Institute, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Doha Film Institute in Qatar. He is also the founder of the African Documentary Network, an initiative aimed at connecting African filmmakers and creating a platform for their work to be seen and recognized.
Amasi's documentaries have been praised for their depth, emotion, and cinematic beauty. His films are an important contribution to the African film landscape and continue to inspire generations of filmmakers.
