ROMEO UMULISA

ROMEO UMULISA

Creative Strategist & Cultural Producer

I am a creative strategist and cultural producer working between Germany, Africa and Brazil. My work is driven by a commitment to center and amplify underrepresented stories and voices. I have over a decade of experience at the intersection of the seventh art and the creative economy, designing and implementing online and offline platforms dedicated to empowering film professionals at different stages of their careers.

As the founder and director of Creative Africa Lab (established in 2023), I focus on contributing to the strengthening of the African film industry. Since 2024, I have partnered with organisations such as FESPACO (Burkina Faso), RIDM (Canada), BANTU FILM FESTIVAL (Botswana), and ROUGH-CUT LAB AFRICA (South Africa) to create online and in-person mini labs dedicated to film project development, production, audience design, and distribution.

Alongside this work, I serve as Africa coordinator for Brazil–Africa Audiovisual Encounters and as Managing Director and lead producer of Hi Kigali, a creative film production and distribution company based in Germany and Rwanda. Hi Kigali is committed to exploring innovative storytelling approaches, pushing creative boundaries, and engaging emerging technologies to bring new narratives to life. Since March 2025, I have also been a member of Engage, an itinerant knowledge-production initiative bringing together think tanks and industry dialogues exploring the next horizons of African screens.

Beginning in 2026, I will also join the African Film and Arts Festival in Providence, Rhode Island (USA) as Lead Curator, contributing to the festival’s curatorial vision and its mission of connecting African and diasporic cinematic voices with new audiences.

Creative Africa Lab Ltd

Founder & Creative Strategist

We are founded on a simple conviction: cinema is one of the most powerful cultural forms through which societies understand themselves and one another.

HiKigali Content and Film Production and distribution

Founder & Lead Creative Producer

We thrive on pushing limits, exploring new storytelling techniques, and embracing emerging technologies to bring innovative narratives to life.

afrimda a professional film platform dedicated to African filmmakers

Product & Creative Design

afrimda is a dedicated platform built to connect the gap between seasoned film professionals and emerging talents.

afro-circuit

Product Design & Creative Strategy

Afro-Circuit is your premier global resource for film festivals, markets, and awards events dedicated to the cinematic voices of Africa, the African diaspora, the Caribbean, and Indigenous communities.