Akin Omotoso was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, and studied at the University of Cape Town.
He is a Nigerian-born South African actor, writer, producer and filmmaker.
Akin Omotoso studied drama at the University of Cape Town where he won the Fluer du Cap for most promising student. He also won the Standard Bank Artist of the year award in 2007. Television works includes directing on A Place Called home, (for which he won best director at the south african film and television awards) and the number one drama on South African television Soul City. Akin has Produced and Directed three feature films God is African, the award winning Man on Ground (official selection Toronto and Berlin) and Tell Me Sweet Something in cinemas in 2015.
His acting credits include the films "Lord of War" (2005), "Blood Diamond" (2006), "Shake Hands with the Devil" (2007). After directing a series of short films he made his first feature, "God Is African" (2003) and the shorts "Rifle Road" (2005), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, "Gathering the Scattered Cousins" (2006), a documentary tribute to his late mother, and "Jesus and the Giant" (2008).


Biography 2011 (Shnit Film Festival 2011)
Akin studied Drama at the University Of Cape Town, winning the Fleur Du Cap Most Promising Student Award along the way. He has since led a triple life as an actor, director and producer. His acting credits include a four year stint of South Africa's most popular soap opera ?Generations'. He also starred in Andrew Niccol's "Lord Of War" and is due to be seen soon in "Shake Hands With The Devil" directed by Roger Spottiswoode.
As a producer he has produced the award winning feature film "Gums And Noses" which won Best South African Film 2004 and also a Best Actor award for the lead actor Anthony Coleman at the New York Independent Film Festival. For South African Television he has produced the internationally acclaimed show ?Sorted'. He has directed four short films of which ?Rifle Road' was selected for screening at the Cannes Films Festival in 2005. His debut feature film "God Is African" enjoyed success at numerous film festivals worldwide picking up a nomination at The Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles for Best First Time Feature. His documentary "Gathering The Scattered Cousins" is dedicated to his late mother and screened at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival.
He has his own production company called T.O.M PICTURES and he is based in Johannesburg South Africa. In 2007 he was awarded the prestigious STANDARD BANK YOUNG ARTIST AWARD FOR FILM. His short film "Jesus And The Giant" was selected for screening at The Toronto Film Festival in 2008. His documentary on Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka called "Wole Soyinka: Child Of The Forest" was released to critical acclaim in 2008. He has recently completed his second feature film called MAN ON GROUND which will premiere at The Toronto Film Festival 2011.

Actor:
Shake Hands with the Devil (2007).... Paul Kagame
Blood Diamond (2006).... Peacekeeper
Lord of War (2005).... General Solomon
Crossing the Line (2005) (TV).... Zondi
"Generations" (1993) TV Series.... Khaya Motene (2000-)
A Reasonable Man (1999).... Photographer
Operation Delta Force 5: Random Fire (1999).... Vice Consul Williams
"Double Shift" (1998) TV Series.... Macdonald

Director:
1997 - The Kiss Of Milk, doc /
1998 - The Nightwalkers, doc /
1999 - The Caretaker, doc /
2000 - God is African, lm /
2003 - God Is African (2003)
2005 - Rifle Road, cm /
2006 - Gathering the Scattered Cousins (doc)
2008 - Jesus and the Giant, cm /
2009 - Wole Soyinka: Child of the Forest, doc /
1994 - "Soul City", TV Series
2015 - Tell Me Sweet Something

Producer:
Gums and Noses (2004) (co-producer)
Man on Ground (2011)
Tell Me Sweet Something (2015)

Writer:
God Is African (2003)

Source:
www.shnit.org/index.php/made-in-south-africa-za.html
www.rififipictures.com/#!page4/cfvg

__________________

IT

Akin Omotoso nasce nel 1974 a Ibadan in Nigeria e frequenta il corso di arte drammatica all'università di Cape Town. Esordisce alla regia con una serie di cortometraggi. Nel 2000 scrive, dirige e produce il suo primo lungometraggio God is African. Nel 2003 fonda la casa di produzione T.O.M. Pictures con cui produce Gums & Noses che riceve numerosi premi. Nel 2005 partecipa al Festival di Cannes con il cortometraggio Rifle Road mentre il suo documentario Gathering the Scattered Cousins é selezionato al Toronto Film Festival nell'anno successivo. Attualmente é impegnato nella realizzazione di vari film e progetti televisivi.

Filmografia
1997 - The Kiss Of Milk, doc /
1998 - The Nightwalkers, doc /
1999 - The Caretaker, doc /
2000 - God is African, lm /
2005 - Rifle Road, cm /
2006 - Gathering the Scattered Cousins, doc /
2008 - Jesus and the Giant, cm /
2009 - Wole Soyinka: Child of the Forest, doc /
2011 - Man on Ground, lm.
2015 : Tell Me Sweet Something, lm

Source:
www.festivalcinemaafricano.org/index.php?pag=vis_film&id_film=837