In this episode Anna speaks to acclaimed Producer, Writer, Director Mehret Mandefro,
Mehret is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, serial entrepreneur, and thought leader
that champions the creative arts as a path to developing a more just society. Her
credits include the Sundance and Berlinale Audience Award winner Difret, the New York
Times Critic’s Pick Little White Lie, and showrunner of Ethiopia’s first-ever teen drama series Yegna. She recently executive produced the American Masters feature
documentary film How It Feels To Be Free and feature narrative film Sweetness in the
Belly which are both streaming on Amazon Prime. Mehret co-founded the independent media production company Truth Aid Media in the US, its sister company A51 Pictures in Ethiopia, the Realness Institute in South Africa, and was formerly the Executive Producer of Kana Television in Ethiopia which was acquired by Canal+. Her track record scaling up media businesses and using narrative to shift culture secured her a spot on Variety’s list of most impactful women in global entertainment. She is a sought-after speaker on these topics and has a TED talk about the impact of the creative industry for economic growth in Africa.
Her latest media venture, TBTM Studios, is headquartered in Dubai and has a slate of projects across documentary and scripted featuring Africa’s leading voices. Mehret is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
and is represented at CAA for film, television, and speaking.