Human rights law specialist-turned-documentarist Shameela Seedat worked at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Idasa and UNIFEM in New York before turning to filmmaking. Her documentaries have won multiple awards across the world, and include WHISPERING TRUTH TO POWER (Hot Docs Special Jury Award, FESPACO Bronze Stallion Award, Luxor African FF Jury Award, Jozi FF Best Documentary, Best Film ASAA) and AFRICAN MOOT (Best Documentary Zimbabwe FF, Nominee AMA Awards, Best Editing at Boston International FF). Shameela has made several short films for NGOs and television, and has published widely on law and social justice. She was the first in-residence film activist at Tshisimani Centre for Activist Education in 2019, taught documentary at UCT in 2023 and served as a DFA board member. Shameela has been a Jury Member for the Sydney Film Festival, Hot Docs, and Adiaha Awards, as well as a project selector for international documentary funds.
Board Member
Shameela Seedat
Award-winning documentary filmmaker and human rights lawyer with experience in courts, NGOs, academia, film juries, and international documentary funding.
Highlights
- Director: African Moot
- Former board member: Documentary Filmmakers Association
- Jury member: Sydney Film Festival, Hot Docs, Adiaha Awards
- Director: Whispering Truth to Power
- Human rights lawyer