Tanzanian-American Screenwriter, film director, and producer.

She is sometimes credited as
Ekwa MSANGI-OMARI

Ekwa MSANGI-OMARI (writer,director,producer) is a Tanzanian-American filmmaker who grew up in Kenya and is based in New York. Her initial career started in producing, and now focusses on writing and directing.

Ekwa Msangi is a Tanzanian American filmmaker who has written and directed for television and film, including her feature directorial debut, Farewell Amor (2020, Sundance FilmFest). Msangi has also written and directed several drama series for mainstream broadcasters in Kenya and South Africa, including The Agency, MNET's first-ever original hour-long Kenyan drama series. Along her journey Msangi has been awarded the Jerome Foundation Grant, a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship, and Tribeca Institute and Sundance Institute fellowships.

Ekwa has directed several short films, most recently Taharuki, a 12-minute short set against the backdrop of the start of Kenya's post-election violence, about a man and woman from opposing ethnic tribes who're working for an underground resistance movement to expose a child-trafficking cartel when something goes wrong, and they're forced to make tough choices in order to stay alive and complete their mission.

Ekwa has also directed several drama series for mainstream broadcasters in Kenya and for MNET South Africa which includes The Agency, MNET's first ever original hour-long Kenyan drama series. The Agency was televised continent-wide and her films Taharuki (Suspense), Weakness, and Dollar Van have been official selections at festivals such as New York African, Pan African, Durban International, Imagem dos Povos, Roxbury International, and Zanzibar International Film Festivals.

As well as her directing career, Ekwa has written for both television and film, and has developed a feature film sequel to her 2011 film Taharuki which is titled Sweet Justice and developed at Babylon International 2011, workshop.

Ekwa teached a Spring Documentary Production course in Havana, Cuba. She has guest lectured on the topic of Contemporary African Cine-Media, and is Associate Director of the Independent Film School in New York. She is also an active Board Member of the Women in Film & Television - Kenya Chapter.

One of Ekwa's key goals as an artist is to transform our society's images and relationships with African cultures, and to empower African filmmakers in telling their stories.

Filmography (as Film Director)
2020 Farewell Amor
2016 All My Friends are Married Short (TV Short)
2016 Farewell Meu Amor (Short)
2016 All My Friends Are Married (TV Series) (1 episode)
- Pilot... (2016)
2016 Soko Sonko (Short) (as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2011 Taharuki (Short) (as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2009 Block-D (TV Series) (series director - 1 episode)
- And so it goes (2009)... (series director - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2009 The Agency (TV Series) (series director - 4 episodes)
- The Comeback Kid (2009)... (series director - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- Money Woes (2009)... (series director - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- Rallying the Troops (2009)... (series director - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- New Beginnings (2009)... (series director - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2006 Dollar Van (Short) (as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)

Filmography (as Writer)
2020 Farewell Amor
2016 Farewell Meu Amor (Short) (writer)
2016 Soko Sonko (Short) (story - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari) / (writer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2011 Taharuki (Short) (as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2010 Higher Learning (TV Series) (creator - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
The Agency (TV Series) (teleplay - 2 episodes, 2009) (creator - 1 episode, 2009) (story - 1 episode, 2009)
- The Comeback Kid (2009)... (teleplay - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- Money Woes (2009)... (teleplay - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- Rallying the Troops (2009)... (creator - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- New Beginnings (2009)... (story - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2006 Dollar Van (Short) (written by - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)

Filmography (as Producer)
2020 Farewell Amor (producer - p.g.a.)
2016 Farewell Meu Amor (Short) (executive producer)
2016 Soko Sonko (Short) (executive producer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2011 Taharuki (Short) (executive producer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2009 Weakness (Short) (producer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2009 The Agency (TV Series) (creative producer - 4 episodes)
- The Comeback Kid (2009)... (creative producer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- Money Woes (2009)... (creative producer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- Rallying the Troops (2009)... (creative producer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- New Beginnings (2009)... (creative producer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
2006 Dollar Van (Short) (executive producer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)

Filmography (as Casting department member)
2009 Block-D (TV Series) (casting - 1 episode)
- And so it goes (2009)... (casting - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari, original casting)
2009 The Agency (TV Series) (casting - 4 episodes)
- The Comeback Kid (2009)... (casting - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- Money Woes (2009)... (casting - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- Rallying the Troops (2009)... (casting - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)
- New Beginnings (2009)... (casting - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)

Filmography (as Sound Designer)
2006 Dollar Van (Short) (sound designer - as Ekwa Msangi-Omari)

Filmography (as Self)
2016 Cindy Uncorked (TV Series)
- Sexuality in the Workplace: Appropriate or Not? (2016)... Self
- The Power of the Vagina to Heal Trauma in the Body (2016)... Self

Sources:
* IMDB (www.imdb.com/name/nm2550343)
* Sundance 2020 (www.sundance.org/projects/farewell-amor)
updated by Thierno Dia, on 19/08//2020.