Marina Niava

Marina Niava (born 1985) is an Ivorian film director, film producer, and writer.

Marina Niava
Born1985 (age 35–36)
NationalityIvorian
OccupationFilm director, producer, screenwriter
Years active2009-present

Biography

Niava is the youngest daughter of Pierre and Cécile Niava, both language teachers.[1] She developed an early interest in the arts and literature and won several literary prizes. She graduated from Lycée Sainte Marie d'Abidjan and received the Series A Excellence Award. After receiving her diploma in Journalism and Audiovisual Production from the Institut des Sciences et Techniques de la Communication, Niava won a competition run by Radio JAM in Abidjan and began her career as a trainee host. She later worked as a journalist for Africa 24.[2] Niava developed her interest in the cinema while filming a commercial.[3]

From 2009 to 2010, Niava served as a co-writer for season 1 of the TV series Teenager, which received the award for best African series at the Vues d'Afrique Festival in Montreal. She moved to Oslo, Norway in 2010 and became communication director of the African Cultural Center. Niava oversaw the 2010 and 2011 Kino Afrika film festivals in Oslo.[2] She was an BENIANH International Foundation's Excellent Scholarship Program laureate in 2012.[4]

In October 2012, she directed her first documentary, Noirs au soleil levant, about the lives of African students in Tsukuba, Japan. Niava's first fictional short film, 21, was completed in December 2013.[2] It was financed by funds from the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.[5] 21 is about a young woman who cannot stand her mother's younger lover and was the only African film screened at the Oakland International Film Festival. Niava directed the short tragedy Worse in 2014.[3] She worked as the special effects coordinator for the 2015 film Advantageous.[6]

Niava completed her master's degree in Film and Television at Academy of Art University.[7] In 2017, Niava wrote her first novel, American Dreamer. It was a finalist for the 10th Prix Ivoire pour la Littérature Africaine d’Expression Francophone.[8]

Partial filmography
  • 2009-2010: Teenager (TV series, co-writer)
  • 2012: Noirs au soleil levant (short film, director)
  • 2013: 21 (short film, writer/director)
  • 2014: Worse (short film, writer/director)

References
  1. "[Interview] Marina Niava, réalisatrice et cinéaste ivoirienne". Ayanawebzine (in French). 25 July 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  2. "Marina Niava Cinéaste". Abidjan.net (in French). Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  3. "Marina Niava : la cinéaste ivoirienne qui perce aux USA". Africatopsuccess.com (in French). 12 August 2014. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  4. "Caravane de L'excellence : La fondation Benianh lance l'étape de EMPT". Abidjan.net (in French). 26 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  5. Motte, Sophie (28 February 2018). "Télévision : les séries africaines crèvent l'écran". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  6. "Young Media Professionals". CommDev. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  7. "Portrait/Marina Niava: écrivaine et cinéaste dans l'âme". Presse Cote d'Ivoire (in French). 26 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  8. Effoumy, Yannick (2 August 2017). "LA LISTE DES OUVRAGES FINALISTES DU PRIX IVOIRE 2017". Life Mag (in French). Retrieved 18 October 2020.
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