Michelle Aisha Bello

Biography

Michelle Aisha Bello is a British-Nigerian filmmaker and entrepreneur known for her contributions to Nollywood. Born in London in 1982, she spent her early years in Lagos before pursuing a degree in Communications with a focus on Visual Media at American University in Washington, D.C. Bello's debut feature film, Small Boy (2007), garnered international attention, earning nominations at the American Black Film Festival and winning two Africa Movie Academy Awards. She further honed her craft with a master's degree in Film Directing from Regent University in Virginia. Her second feature, Flower Girl (2013), achieved commercial success in Nigeria and was notably the first film by a female Nigerian director to secure a UK theatrical release. The film received multiple accolades, including 'Best African Film' at the Black International Film Festival. Beyond filmmaking, Bello is the CEO of Blu Star Entertainment and President of Blu Light Film & TV Academy. She also founded The Film Directory to support Nigerian filmmakers. Recognized for her impact, she received the Trailblazer Award at the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards.

Awards