Tatenda Mbudzi

Hailing from Zimbabwe, Tatenda fell in love with film & television as a result of his grandmother’s traditional folktales – NGANO. He followed those story threads all the way to Hollywood, where his first job was working directly for the Chairman of Universal Pictures. He has worked in development and marketing at companies such as Sony Pictures Television, Anonymous Content, Focus Features, 20th Century Fox, and Microsoft. He is the producer of the short film GUESTS executive produced by James Franco. GUESTS stars Rico Rodriguez (MODERN FAMILY) and Matthew Modine (FULL METAL JACKET, DARK KNIGHT RISES) . Tatenda is also a producer of the Rabbit Bandini & James Franco Feature, THE HEYDAY OF THE INSENSITIVE BASTARDS starring Jimmy Kimmel, Kristen Wiig, James Franco, Natalie Portman, Kate Mara and many more He is a graduate of the esteemed UCLA Graduate M.F.A. Producers Program, and the recipient of a Fred Rogers, Emmy Foundation Grant. Tatenda is a world-class filmmaker: an amalgam of writer, actor, director and producer who is committed to telling stories from unseen points of view. This commitment earned him the honor of presenting Oscar statuettes at the 86th Academy Awards™ where he was showcased as The Future Of Film in front of a global audience upwards of 4 billion people. Tatenda, wrote, directed and starred in his first feature film: ZIM HIGH, for which he won the Best Director Award at the 2017 Zimbabwe International Film Festival. ZIM HIGH is Africa’s First Teen Movie Ever, from a Sh*thole country. ZIM HIGH also stars Rick Cosnett (ABC’S THE FLASH, QUANTICO, VAMPIRE DIARIES). Tatenda also premiered his one man stand-up comedy and storytelling show AFRICAN ALIEN which is a comedic exploration of his experience as a "non-resident alien" with intergalactic psychological issues.