Misha Maseka
About
Misha Maseka (b. 1992, Manzini, Eswatini) is a Zambian artist, researcher and filmmaker whose global upbringing—spanning South Africa, Australia, and residences in Canada and the UK—informs her expansive artistic practice. With over a decade of experience in screen production, vocal performance, archival research, and event coordination, her career journey began in the world of opera and theatre. She honed her craft under Dr. Janet Youngdahl at the University of Lethbridge, leading to compelling performances with esteemed organizations like the Calgary Philharmonic, Theatre Calgary, Square One Media, Lyric Studio Weimar, and Arts Commons across Canada and Germany.
Maseka’s distinctive artistic signature explores the spectacle found within intimacy, heritage, belonging, and the mundane. This perspective is showcased in her celebrated short film, “Not That Deep.” This film achieved significant critical acclaim, earning not one, but two prestigious awards at the Berlin Short Film Festival – a testament to its compelling narrative and innovative direction. This success underscores her broader work, which includes the ongoing multi-pronged project and her eagerly anticipated first feature film, “All the Beautiful People are Gone.”
Since 2018, Maseka has built an impressive portfolio as a producer, director, and writer across commercials, documentaries, narrative shorts, and television series. She recently completed her MA in Digital Direction from the Royal College of Art, where she specialized in XR media and African diasporic storytelling. She boasts a proven track record in producing grant-funded, community-driven media and exhibitions that powerfully center underrepresented narratives, demonstrating strong leadership across international film, stage, and academic platforms. Committed to archival justice and ethical digital storytelling, Maseka is passionately committed to illuminating the vital small and unknown histories and legacies of the global South, especially SADC Africa. Her ongoing research into the fragmentation and fusion of intangible cultural heritage in the SADC region is actively shaping the development of multiple film, theatre, and installation projects, all produced under her 2021-founded company, Village Girls.
As her longest-standing artistic practice, she also composes and performs music under the name Lemba.
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