Dawit Shmimelis
Producer/Director
Dawit Shimelis is a film producer, director, and editor with over two decades of industry experience. He collaborates with diverse clients, including non-profit organizations and corporate firms across Europe, Africa, and the United States. Dawit studied computer science at the Hilcoe School of Computer Science in Ethiopia. He completed a certificate program at the Downtown Community Television Center in New York City and audited a course on Storytelling Strategies at the Tisch School of Arts, affiliated with New York University.
Notable works include the film "Running with the Wind," selected as the Ethiopian entry for the Best International Feature category at the 92nd Academy Awards. His short film "Tesfaye" received a nomination for Best Short, while "Lezare" won Best Short Film and Youth Jury Award at the Tarifa African Film Festival.
Dawit's filmography includes projects like "People of the Delta," "Two Zions: The Living Legacy of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon," and the feature film "Emra and Dabo." He also has extensive experience in documentary film-making, as seen in works like "De-focus" and "Breaking the Silence," showcasing his multi-faceted skills as a director, producer, writer, and cinematographer. In the corporate sphere, Dawit contributed to the Baltimore-Washington Airport Expansion Project for ACDBE Partners as an editor and video consultant. He has also worked on projects for global and local brands including Ethiopian Airlines, Diaspora Invest, Yenae Jewelry and the Taste of Addis Food Festival.
