Kurt Otabenga Orderson
Introduction (2-3 lines)
Kurt Otabenga Orderson is an award-winning filmmaker from Cape Town, South Africa, whose work has been featured on Al Jazeera, SABC, ESPN, ZDF, and HULU. He has worked on six continents and has directed and produced over ten feature documentaries screened at international film festivals, universities, and colleges. Kurt is the founder of Azania Rizing Productions, a company that aims to inspire young people through creative storytelling about Africa and African Diasporas.
Kurt Orderson is an award-winning filmmaker from Cape Town, South Africa. His career started after completing his film and television studies at Monash University, South Africa, in 2004. He has directed ten feature-length documentary films shot between five continents and more than 20 shorts. His films serve as a creative pedagogy by making use of historical, archival, political, and transnational solidarity traditions. His work explores unknown stories, asking critical questions to create new narratives in impermanent settings. In 2009 Kurt founded Azania Rizing Productions, an award-winning production company consisting of a collective of filmmakers and activists, creating film and media content that facilitates unity, solidarity, forms new alliances, and stimulates public discourse. Azania Rizing aspires to tell stories about Afrika, the Afrikan Diaspora, and Afrika's legacy in world heritage to revive political consciousness, honouring our struggle foremothers and fathers.
Previously, Kurt worked for six years at the South African Broadcasting Corporation and several other international production companies. His work has featured on a broad spectrum of outlets, including Al Jazeera, ESPN, ZDF Germany, ETV, TRT-Turkey, and HULU. Additionally, Kurt guest lectures at various universities, including the University of Cape Town, University of Pennsylvania, University of São Paulo, Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, University of West Indies, and the University of Toronto. "Not in My Neighourhood," his most recent feature-length documentary, has screened at over 25 film festivals and won the Audience Award at Encounters International Film Festival, Best Documentary at the HBO American Black Film Festival, and Jury Award (Outstanding Film) at the African International Film Festival. Kurt is the recipient of the Arrighi Center for Global Studies Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. At present, he's currently in the final script stage with his upcoming magical realism feature narrative titled Ape Town.
