We were lucky to catch up with Denise Khumalo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Denise, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The biggest risk that I have taken in my entire life was leaving my hometown (Harare, Zimbabwe) to move to the US to pursue my film career. Moving to another continent, alone, as a teenager was definitely not easy. But I knew it would allow me to have more opportunities, which I am happy and grateful for.
My journey to America started off in upstate NY at SUNY Fredonia where I received my BS in Communications: TV and Film. Then I moved to Los Angeles over a decade ago to get my Masters in Filmmaking at New York Film Academy located in Burbank. Being exposed to the film industry on both the East and West Coast has made the creative that I am today. I went from working on projects for free to making a steady income as an independent contractor which is not an easy task.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe and I’ve always had a passion for the arts. Ever since I was a child, I had a unique imagination which my parents noticed which led them to signing me up for performing arts classes growing up. This passion continued throughout my high school education and when it came time to pick a university I knew that I had to leave my country because there weren’t any opportunities for filmmakers at the time. As the years have passed this is no longer true, the film and entertainment industry is booming and thriving all over Zimbabwe.
I decided to pursue my film career in the US and the two most popular film production hubs are located in New York and Los Angeles. I moved to upstate NY in 2008 and received my Bachelors in Communications, TV and Film. In my senior year, I fell in love with directing and I knew that was my destiny. Upstate NY was small and didn’t have many opportunities therefore I chose to relocate to Los Angeles for my Masters in 2012. Moving to Los Angeles changed my life forever. It allowed me to learn so much about the entertainment industry and grow as an individual.
I found my niche in documentary filmmaking and I haven’t looked back ever since. I am known mostly for working in the unscripted realm, my most successful film is Khayalami “My Home” that is streaming on Amazon Prime. I have lived in Los Angeles for 11 years now and I am fortunate to have found my tribe, I have a small group of friends that I trust and support me. It has been a long journey but I wouldn’t change it for anything else. I love being a filmmaker!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I come from a lineage of storytellers and I want to continue their legacy. Back in the day it was mainly word of mouth so a lot of important information and stories have been lost. This inspires me to share my Ndebele traditions and culture with the world. This is why I create mostly documentaries as they are true stories.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I really wish that I knew about BIPOC groups, they offer advice and even grants. For example, Brown Girls Doc Mafia has always been a great resource when looking for jobs, they offer free membership and send a monthly email with links to job opportunities, fellowships and grants. Most of the groups I have found are mostly on Facebook and transitioned to websites. This really helped catapult my career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.denisekhumalo.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makhu/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisekhumalo/