Mamadou Dia

Mamadou was born and raised in Matam, Northern Senegal. He moved to the US for his MFA in writing and directing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Prior to that, he has worked as video-journalist based in Dakar for international agencies traveling in Africa and Europe. Mamadou narrates nuanced stories, about “everyday people” who are heroes of their own lives. His first feature film Baamum Nafi/Nafi’s father was a New York Times pick. It was Senegal’s official entry to the Oscars 2021 and had a theatrical release in Senegal and France. Variety wrote that Mamadou’s “story feels fresh without compromising on drama”. His films have won awards and have screened at major festivals including New Directors/New Films (Lincoln center/MoMA), Toronto, Locarno, Chicago, Fespaco, Venice, Marrakech, and Atlanta. Mamadou shares his passion for filmmaking through teaching reaching diverse students at the University of Virginia where he is Assistant Professor of Practice and in Senegal at the Centre Yennnega created by Alain Gomis, and the Cine Banlieue of Dakar. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Variety, Le Monde, Il Manifesto, Film Explorer, La Libre, Screen International , Slant Magazine, Internazzionale, and Le Quotidien among others.