John Akomfrah

John Akomfrah, CBE, is a seminal figure in Black British Cinema and forerunner in digital cinematography. He has a body of work that is considered one of the most distinctive and innovative in contemporary Britain. Born in Ghana, to politically active parents he moved to London at an early age. He was a founding figure in the influential cine cultural group Black Audio Film Collective which was dedicated to exploring questions of Black British identity, race and class through film and media. In 1999, he set up Smoking Dogs Films - which simultaneously cohabits the worlds of broadcast, cinema and the arts - with his long term producing partners, David Lawson and Lina Gopaul. John has served on numerous boards as a governor, including the British Film Institute and Film London and has taught at a number of institutions around the world including M.I.T., Yale and the University of Westminster. John Akomfrah is an artist filmmaker, director, writer and theorist who creates documentaries, feature films and exhibitions that have garnered international critical acclaim.