Kurt Orderson

Roles: Director

Kurt is an award-winning independent filmmaker from Cape Town, South Africa. His body of work serves as a creative pedagogy by making use of historical, archival, political, and transnational solidarity traditions. His films explore unknown stories, asking critical questions to create new narratives in impermanent settings. Between 2004-2008 he worked for the South African Broadcasting Corporation and many other production companies producing, shooting, and directing documentaries, magazine shows, and music videos featured on numerous international television channels, including Al Jazeera, ESPN International, ZDF Germany, TRT-Turkey, and HULU. In 2009 he founded Azania Rizing Productions. The company aims to create propelling content that stimulates public discourse about Africa and the African Diaspora at large within the anti-colonial tradition of third cinema.

He has directed, DP’d, and produced over 11 feature documentary films, and over 15 short films that have been screened at international film festivals and on various broadcast outlets. He also has guest lectured at multiple universities, including the University of Cape Town, University of Johannesburg, University of Pennsylvania, University of Sao Paulo, Johns Hopkins University, Tulane University, University of West Indies, and the University of Toronto. His last film, Not in My Neighourhood won multiple awards, including the Audience Award at Encounters Documentary Film Festival, Best Documentary at the HBO American Black Film Festival, and Jury Award for Most Outstanding Film at the African International Film Festival. He’s also a recipient of the Arrighi Center for Global Studies Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. He is currently in early pre-productions with his latest urban adventure feature narrative titled ApeTown.