Xolelwa 'Ollie' Nhlabatsi

"I find my job is to reflect reality through the lens of embellishment mixed with some silliness and hope."Xolelwa was born in Mbabane, eSwatini. He grew up in Washington DC, Ottawa and Johannesburg. This has given him a world view and the ability to adapt to different cultures and people. He attained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Film & Television from the University of the Witwatersrand.Xolelwa's debut short film, Lost in the World garnered international recognition by being nominated for Best Short Film at Film Africa in London, as well as being selected to screen at the Thessaloniki LGBTQ+ Festival in Greece, the Baltimore International Black Film Festival and London Short Film Festival.Xolelwa produced the short film Into Infinity which premiered at Africa's first Comic Con festival and went on to be selected at the Durban International Film Festival 2019.Furthermore, what will be his feature film debut, Mkhulu Wase Next Door was selected as part of the Durban Filmmart 2019, which he is developing and writing with the NFVF.Xolelwa has recently joined Rumanya films as a director of commercials, music videos and branded content.