Born in Zambia, she emigrated to Wales at the age of nine. A graduate of the University of Arts in London, she directed several short films ( The List , Mwansa the Great , Listen ), which won her awards and welcome criticism. Listen ( Kuuntele ) receives the Best Short Film Award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015. Her first feature length fiction,I Am Not a Witch, was selected at the Directors' Fortnight of Cannes Film Festival 2017. This film earned her the Best Director and Best Director Award for a first film at the 20th British Independent Film Awards 2017.