Bio
ES
Femi Agbayewa, nacio en Nigeria y emigro cuando era niño hacia América del Norte, donde crecio conociendo la diversidad cultural, la variedad de perspectivas, y sobretodo observando y analizando la importancia de la historia de cada persona que conocía. Estas experiencias le inspiraron a ser director/productor de cine, de podcasts y un desarrollador de las historias de la comunidad.
Produjo y dirigió el documental llamado La Mama Vieja: Una historia de Candombe de Toronto, la cual fue proyectada en el consulado uruguayo en Ottawa, Canadá.
Dirigió los 6 episodios del podcast llamado “El Periodista”. El cual es una serie de Podcast basados en Jesús, un periodista de Venezuela que es amenazado por ejercer su profesión en su propio pais, teniendo que huir hacia Colombia. "El Periodista" busca proyectar lo que significa ser un migrante venezolano.
Actualmente, Femi se encuentra en la combinación del periodismo- storytelling para contar historias alternativas de ciudades, comunidades y países.
ENG
Oluwafemi “Femi” Agbayewa prides himself on being a dynamic and creative storyteller, whose work spans film, podcasts, and VR. His international gaze has made him adept at connecting and leading diverse groups and communities to achieve common goals.
After graduating from Concordia University with an MA in Communications, Oluwafemi directed God's Own Country as part of the first wave of Nollywood USA films to be released in Nigeria. God's Own Country was sold to Afrijet Airlines, where it was viewed by an estimated 3 million people.
The next phase of his journey found him back on American soil, writing and directing, the first African sitcom pilot in America, Brooklyn Shakara. The film was pivotal in creating a workflow model that combined American talent with rising African talent. Brooklyn Shakara featured a future Oscar winner, an Oscar-nominated cinematographer, and a Nollywood Movie Award winner.
Femi is also the creator of, On the Rise, an entrepreneur inspired late-nite talk show series shot and broadcast in Lagos, Nigeria. The program focused on reshaping the language of cool to embody the Nigerian tech revolution.
Femi’s accomplishments and experience in international filmmaking have made him a highly sought after expert and advisor. He has done speaking engagements at world-class schools including Harvard University, Columbia University, and the British Film Institute.
In 2015, Femi was selected to join an influential delegation of 15 Canadian filmmakers invited by the South African government to tour the country’s film facilities and explore co-production opportunities. The trip resulted in the Canadian and South African governments renewing their commitment to support cross-country film productions.
Femi expanded to the storytelling medium of podcasts, where he made an immediate impact. In 2019, he was awarded the Latin Grammy Research and Preservation Grant for his podcast on the late great Afro-Uruguayan singer Hugo 'Cheche' Santos.
He was a finalist in the Google Podcast Creator Program, for his work with underserved communities in South America. This placement caught the attention of the city government of Medellin, Colombia, who sponsors his storytelling workshop initiative, focused on the power of reclaiming personal stories.