Yuhi Amuli (born 4 September in 1993) is a Film director,[1] Screenwriter, Producer and Lawyer from Rwanda. His directorial debut feature film A Taste of Our Land (2020) premiered at the Pan African film festival in Los Angles and won the Jury Award for Best First Narrative Feature Film. The film went on to screen at various other film festivals worldwide and won the African Movie Academy Awards (2020) for Best First Feature Film by a Director.
Yuhi Amuli | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 4, 1993 Kigali City, Rwanda |
| Citizenship | Rwanda |
| Alma mater | Loyola Law School, Kigali Independent University |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, Screenwriter, Producer and Lawyer |
| Years active | 2015-present |
| Notable work | Citizen Kwame (2023) |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Spouse | Natacha U. Ndekezi (m. 2022) |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | https://yuhiamuli.com |
Early life and career
editAmuli was raised on Nkombo Island, a small and underdeveloped island in Lake Kivu, Rwanda, which lacked access to running water and electricity.[2] His mother worked as a primary school teacher, while his father was an accountant.[3] Despite the limited resources available, Amuli's upbringing emphasized the importance of education and resilience.[4] He attended several screenwriting and directing workshops worldwide; including Maisha Film Lab in 2014.[5]
Amuli gained recognition with his debut feature film, A Taste of Our Land (2020), which is set in an unspecified African country and unfolds against the backdrop of contemporary Chinese involvement in Africa, particularly in the mining sector. It premiered at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, winning the Jury Award for Best First Narrative Feature Film and the African Movie Academy Award for Best First Feature Film by a Director.[6] His second feature, Citizen Kwame (2023) follows Kwame, a determined African man aspiring to leave his house. However, to do so, he must first secure a visa from a Western gatekeeper who controls the exits and entries of the house. Only with the assistance of a newly formed relationship with a Western girlfriend does he manage to achieve his goal. It earned the Best Cinematic Treatment award at the 2023 Luxor African Film Festival.[7] In 2017, he produced Nameless through his independent production company, IZACU.[8] The film participated in TAKMIL, a post-production workshop at the Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia, and was later picked up for distribution by Orange Studios in France.[9] He is an alumnus of the Berlinale Talents (2021) and the Toronto Filmmaker Lab (2020).[10] Amuli is currently developing his next film, Exodus.[11]
Alongside his filmmaking career, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Law from Kigali Independent University and is pursuing a Master of Laws (LL.M.) with a focus on Entertainment Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.[12]
Filmography
edit| Year | Film | Role | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Citizen Kwame[13] | Director, Screenwriter, producer, Actor | Feature film |
| 2021 | The young Cyclist[14] | Director | Short Documentary |
| 2020 | A Taste of Our Land[15] | Director, Screenwriter, Producer | Feature Film |
| 2019 | Kazungu[16] | Director, Screenwriter, Producer | Short film |
| 2017 | Akarwa[17] | Director, Screenwriter | Short film |
| 2015 | Ishaba | Director, Screenwriter | Short film |
References
edit- ^ "Interview: Rwandan Director Yuhi Amuli on His Magnetic Relationship With Film". OkayAfrica. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Sunday, August 18: Yuhi Amuli and Myriam Birara". Maine Public. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ "YUHI Amuli – Film Director". Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ BellaNaija.com (2020-12-21). "And the 2020 AMAA Winners are… "The Milkmaid", "The Ghost and The House of Truth", Ramsey Nouah | See the Full List". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ ipoadmin (2020-03-04). "Pan African Film Festival Wraps & Winners -". Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Rwandan films selected for Durban International Film Festival". The New Times. 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ Nsabimana, Eddie (2022-06-01). "Rwandan movie vies for top continental prize in Morocco". The New Times. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ "Rwandan movie vies for top continental prize in Morocco". The New Times | Rwanda. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Berlinale Talents - Yuhi Amuli". Berlinale Talents. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Maine Public Interview: State of the Art with Yuhi Amuli and Myriam Birara". Maine International Film Festival. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ "Rwandan film 'A Taste of Our Land' wins in Morocco". The East African. 2022-06-18. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Film shines light on injustice and oppression by investors". Rwanda Today. 2022-10-16. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ Oguntimehin, Babatunde (2022-06-02). "Rwandan Movie Vies For Top Prize at African Film Festival in Morocco". News Central TV | Latest Breaking News Across Africa, Daily News in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Egypt Today. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Two Rwandan films selected for Al Jazeera's Africa Direct". The New Times | Rwanda. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Kazungu". www.luxorafricanfilmfestival.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ DIFF | A Taste of Our Land Durban International Film Festival - 21–30 July 2022, retrieved 2022-08-03
- ^ "Yuhi Amuli talks about his love for cinema". The New Times | Rwanda. 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
External links
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