Owino

Javier Marín

Director, Journalist Javier was born in Murcia, Spain, on the 11th December 1975. He studied Journalism in Salamanca and Valencia, where he graduated and started his promising career at Agencia EFE, the leading news agency in Spanish and the fourth biggest worldwide. Javier later became Chief Culture Writer, a position that allowed him writing many cinema features and covering international film festivals, as well as deepening his understanding and love for filmmaking. In 2013, Javier moved to Nairobi as a sub-Saharan Africa correspondent and soon was appointed EFE's bureau chief for this region. While in Kenya, he has specialized in shooting and editing breaking news and investigative videos on social and Human Rights issues. In 2015 he got a European Journalism Centre (EJC) grant, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, that allowed the making of the documentary film Owino, his first professional work as a director.

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Yusuf Razzaque

Director Yusuf Razzaque, (Los Angeles, California, 1972) studied Film Production and Psychology at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. He began his career as a production designer and production assistant on several short films and student films, then later became an educator and Arts teacher for several years in California. In 2000, he moved to Barcelona, Spain and studied at the L’Escola Massana Art and Design Institute for three years which reignited his love for art and film. He continued working as an educator and in theatrical arts while producing, directing and acting in several plays and video installations with the 12x12 English Theater Company from 2001 to 2012 in Barcelona. After almost 15 years in Spain, Yusuf moved to Nairobi, Kenya, and has collaborated with art festivals and created art installations for a few events in the city. Passionate about visual art and editing, Yusuf continues his love for cinema and working with other artists to inspire creativity in everyone.

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