Submission Judges 2025
We would like to extend a very big thank you to all our submission judges who participated in the 1st edition of AAIFF Africa – The All African Independent Film Festival. This festival would not be possible without the support, expertise, and generosity of our exceptional judges. Our judges are not only what make our festival possible, but they play a large part in what makes our festival special. Their tireless help, passion, and energy enable us to provide a unique venue for emerging innovative and cinematic talent to gain international recognition. We think that we speak on behalf of everyone in saying that we are extremely grateful for all the hard work and time that our judges have put forward to making this festival happen. We are beyond excited for the 1st edition of the festival and we couldn’t have done it without them!
Here is the complete list of our AAIFF Africa 2025 submission judges:
Scott Hillier
Scott Hillier is an Australian Director / Cinematographer / Screenwriter. Scott studied film at New York University and The London Film and Television school as well as literary non-fiction writing at Columbia University. He has taught a Master’s Degree course in Screenwriting as well as journalism at the Centre de Formation des Journaliste (CFJ) in Paris. In addition to serving as President of ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival, he is also Chief Creative Officer for the Zs2 Media Group in Paris.
Ivan Makai
Ivan Makai is an artistic individual with a creative outlook. With more than 4 years of experience in creating and producing short videos and movies for personal and corporate projects he is seeking to film moving films that tell a story.
His ability to work on his own or with small to mid-size filming crews has allowed him to direct, write, act and produce more than 5 films and 20 videos in the past three years.
Hilda Awori
Hilda Awori is a Ugandan Multidisciplinary storyteller. She studied at Makerere Univeristy in Kampala, Uganda at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Liberal and performing Arts where she pursued a BA in Drama and Film. Her career started on stage, interning as an actress and writer at Theatre Factory.
She has been involved in a number of stage productions, as a producer and writer for television, and is the director of the impact driven documentary “I won’t kneel”. Being mentored by Oscar-nominated Documentary filmmaker Daphne Matziaraki.
She believes in the transformative power of storytelling and much of the work she is involved in is about using stories for positive change within her community and beyond.
Will Mbiakop
Innovative, versatile, driven, Will Mbiakop is a multi-skilled business leader with over 15 year experience in sports business, strategy and business development in the EMEA region.
With a proven track record in consulting, sports, media and entertainment, Will is an exciting speaker at prominent international summits and conferences.
Will has a special interest in the convening and transformative power of Sport & Education in the community, empowering youth while creating business opportunities.
Will holds a MBA with Merit from the Manchester Business School.
Boris Biaou
Boris Biaou is a french filmmaker, director and screenwriter based in Paris. His short films include FERRARRIE & DILEMMES.
Aimée Umutoni
Aimée Umutoni is the managing director of Anda Films 33 with over 10 years of experience in the cinema industry. She’s also the business development officer for AAIFF Africa.
Philipo Ngonyani
Philipo Ngonyani is a filmmaker based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Throughout his career, Philipo has written, produced, and directed two award-winning feature films, Frida (2021) and Mvamizi (2022). He also works with different institutions and organizations in creating digital content like campaign films, impact story documentaries, and educational videos.
Rodrigo Estrada
Rodrigo Estrada was born in Mexico In 1995. He is the Festival Manager of the ÉCU Film Festival Group. Managing four film festivals and working at Zs2 Media group he has produced over 30 videos for clients like the NBA, Netflix, Illumination, General Electric amongst others.
Addamms Songe Mututa
Addamms Songe Mututa is a film scholar and lecturer with production experience. He holds a joint PhD (Film Studies / African Literature) from the University of Tübingen, Germany, and the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He has taught film studies at the University of Nairobi and other institutions. He is also a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg and a co-editor of the Journal of African Cinemas. He researches African cinema cultures and theory.
David McGowan
David McGowan is an Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker who has devoted his career to conservation and environmental films. He has been teaching a wildlife filmmaking class at the Red Rocks Initiative in Musanze for two years. The students have produced several short films on topics of One Health, birding, and community-based tourism. He is currently working with the Rwandan
filmmakers on a documentary about the historic ranger exchange between Nyungwe and the Great Smoky Mountains in the US. Both national parks are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Ng’endo Mukii
Ng’endo Mukii is an Annie award-winning and British Animation Award
nominated film director. She is most well known for ‘Enkai,’ an episode on the Disney+ animated anthology, Kizazi Moto. At the prestigious Design Indaba conference she presented her talk, ‘Film Taxidermy and Re-Animation,’ proposing the use of animation as a means of re-
humanizing the ‘indigenous’ image; a people whose ‘real’ image is burdened with stereotypes of being the ‘Other.’ Ng’endo is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and holds a Master of Arts in Animation from the Royal College of Art. She is an alumni of the beautiful Berlinale Talents, the distinguished Urucu Media REALNESS Screenwriter’s Residency, and the incredible Goethe Institute Bahia Vila Sul artists’ residency. Her mixed-media and inter-genre approach to filmmaking, particularly focused on the experiences of African women, gives her an incredibly unique visual language and a preeminent voice in animation. She lives and works in Boston, as a Professor of the Practice at SMFA at TUFTS University.
Anniwaa Buachie
Anniwaa Buachie is a distinguished Ghanaian-British artist whose influence spans across global platforms. Currently captivating audiences in the recurring role on the BBC series Phoenix Rise, she has flourished from a robust foundation in the UK theatre landscape. She was the artistic director and founder of Golden Delilah, an theatre company renowned for its innovation in new writing and advocacy for diverse female roles, Anniwaa has made a distinctive impact on the theatrical realm. A curious storyteller, her creative odyssey traverses the nuanced interplay between Africa and Great Britain, resonating powerfully across film, television, theatre, and literary fiction. This thematic exploration is a signature of her artistic journey. Amid the complexities of the pandemic, she was commissioned by the BAFTA-nominated production company Kandu Arts to conceive, direct, and produce impactful short films. Concurrently, her collaborative efforts with her writing partner yielded the development of a compelling limited series: Uproot, in collaboration with an Oscar-nominated production company. Anniwaa’s recent achievements include her production and lead role in the evocative short film MOON OVER ABURI, written by Emmy-winning writer Kwame Dawes. This successful collaboration continued with her direction and production of Kwame’s poignant work February Light, further highlights her reputation as a versatile and influential figure keen to shine a spotlight on storytelling and filmmaking of the African Diaspora.
Isaya Evans
Isaya Evans is a Kenyan Filmmaker who has worked for over a decade in various capacities as an Assistant director, Casting director and Director. Isaya’s directing debut was the award-winning short film, “Loop” in 2021. Isaya’s short film Grogan’s Lodge(2023) is on its global festival tour and has been accepted so far in 9 film festivals, including the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand ISFF 2024. Some of the notable awards include:
1) Best Horror Film – Speculative Film Fest 2024
2) Best Cinematography – Africa International Horror Film Festival 2023
Isaya has also directed high-end TV shows like “Igiza (2022)”, “Second Family (2023)”, “Jiji (2024) and “Nilichoma (2024)” which all air on the VOD platform, Showmax, among others. Isaya has also directed TV commercials for companies including Sta-soft, Smirnoff, and Betika.
Isaya is currently working on a feature film whose script has been accepted for development at Durban Filmart (Jumpstart programme 2024).
Yuhi Amuli
Yuhi Amuli is a film Director/screenwriter/Producer and Lawyer from Rwanda. His feature films “A Taste Of Our Land” (2020) and “Citizen Kwame” (2023) have been screened at various film festivals worldwide and won awards including the Africa Academy Movie Award for Best First Film by a Director. He is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents (2021) and Toronto Filmmaker Lab (2020). His films delve into themes that explored the complexities of African identity, colonial legacies, and the socio cultural dynamics of his homeland. He often juxtaposed traditional values against the backdrop of change, providing a nuanced perspective on the challenges and aspirations of post-colonial African societies. He is based in Los Angeles, currently pursuing a Master of Laws Degree from Loyola Law School.
Amanda Marufu
Amanda is a Feminist, Award Winning Tech-Entrepreneur, Award Winning TV Producer,
Freelance Writer & Author certified in Gender and Media and Digital Marketing with over eight
years of experience working to develop and create various forms of content. She has been
published by The Feminist Leadership Journal, Amaka Studio, Black Ballad, Document Women,
In Her Words, Meeting Of The Minds, Africa80, and countless other platforms, dedicating her life
to using media and tech to spread awareness and change lives.
Awards include:
Euro Film Fest – Best Documentary Award (2023)
Zimbabwean Film And Television (ZAFTA) – Best Documentary Short Award Nominee (2023)
Africa Innovation Week: Global Ambassador (2020)
The Better Tomorrow Movement: Global Ambassador (2019)
Digital Spaces Lab Residency – (2019)
Zim Blog Award Nominee (2020)
Entrepreneurship National Award Winner (2020)
Globee Business Award Nominee (2021)
BOOK: At What Age Does My Body Belong To Me
Socials: @amandataytetait
JOYCE MHANGO CHAVULA
Filmmaker. Actress. Arts Trainer. Acting Coach.
Joyce is a Socio-Cultural Animator with over 10 years’ experience in the arts industry as a Leader, Manager, Trainer, Producer, Director and performer. She is the founder of Rising Choreos Theatre, an arts company which she established in 2009 to specialize in Film, Theatre and Dance.She became the first Southern African filmmaker to win the prestigious Africa Magic award (AMVCA) for best Southern African movie for her film titled Lilongwe. She has 3 films to her name which have been screened globally and nominated in various festivals. As a certified arts trainer, she has trained numerous artists in Malawi, Zambia (AWAFFEST), Zimbabwe and Nigeria (AMAA). She has served as a jury at IIFF (ICAPA TRUST) in Zimbabwe and currently one of the organisers for Malawi film festival. She holds various leadership positions in the arts sector and has once served as Vice President for Film Association and President for National Theatre Association of Malawi.
Terry Jerry A’wase
Terry Jerry A’wase is a Filmmaker, A Diplomat and executive secretary at the African Film
institute. He is the founder of A’DOO CAM Studios. a production company. He has executed diverse projects across 28 countries, Trained and empowered Hundreds of Filmmakers, Media
teams and social Entrepreneurs in Africa and beyond. He has been a consultant for United
Nations organisations (including UNPD, UNICEF and UNESCO), African Union, European Film
Market, National Film institute Nigeria and The Federal Government of Nigeria. Terry has
received Recognition, Honors and Awards from various organisations including: Berlinale Germany (2024), SWIFF USA (2023), Africa no filter (2022), GIYFF China (2021)
Transparency International Germany (2020), IACC Denmark (2018), The African Union, World
Bank and the President of Nigeria (2018) amongst others.
Jessie Chisi
Jessie Chisi is a renowned Zambian film director & screenwriter founder. She is the founder of
Zambian Short FIlm festival. She is known for debut feature Between Rings following Zambia’s
first female boxer that opened in 2015. From 2017 to 2019, she directed seasons 1 and 2 of
Zambia’s hit TV series Zuba. Her short film Imagination won the Golden Young African
FilmMakers Award (YAFMA) for fiction at the 2020 Africa Film Festival Leuven in 2016. She is
one of the directors of the three-part documentary series Year Zero produced in 2023. She is an
Alumni of Durban talent campus & Belinale talents and was trained in film making in Finland .