ABOUT

Adisa is a multifaceted talent, acclaimed as an award-winning director, producer, and philanthropist. In 2023, Netflix recognized Adisa’s exceptional skills and invited him to participate in their prestigious Directors on the Rise Masterclass. His inaugural feature film, “Skin in the Game,” debuted at Urbanworld in 2019, where it earned him the Best Director Award at the 27th Annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival. The film received widespread acclaim upon its theatrical release, with rave reviews praising its compelling narrative and impactful storytelling.

Adisa, an MFA graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, showcased two films on Showtime, winning the Outfest Audience Award for Outstanding Short Narrative and Best Short Film at the San Francisco Black Film Festival.

Following his success at Showtime, Adisa directed and produced “A Day Without Mines,” a short documentary filmed in the diamond mining district of Sierra Leone, West Africa. The film exposed the plight of children as young as six working in the mines and received critical acclaim, winning Best Short Documentary at the Beverly Hills Film, TV & New Media Festival. It was also showcased on PBS. The documentary inspired Adisa’s upcoming feature film, “Tru King.”

Facilitated by acclaimed filmmaker Haile Gerima, Adisa participated in Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Inaugural Masterclass in 2021. His action-packed screenplay, “Black Ivory,” made him a semifinalist in the Academy Nicholl’s Fellowship in 2022, ranking in the top two percentile by industry professionals.

Adisa’s latest documentary, “ifine” (beauty), addresses the controversial subject of skin bleaching in Sierra Leone, where he has worked with the youth for over two decades. “ifine” has received critical acclaim and a nomination for an African Movie Academy Award for Best Documentary. The documentary was currently in the running for the 2024 Oscars.

In 2023, Adisa was invited to speak at the UNESCO DCMET symposium on the children of Sierra Leone, colonial-effects, and the Black is beautiful resistance, featuring his award-winning film “ifine.” Participants from over sixty different countries attended the symposium.

Recognizing his efforts to help the youth of Sierra Leone, Adisa received the Humanitarian Leadership Award from The Brothers and Sisters of Sierra Leone. As part of his philanthropic work, Adisa’s Sports and Arts Academy for underprivileged youth is under construction and is set for a grand opening in 2024.