Michelle Bello Biography

Michelle Bello was born on September 30, 1982 in London to  Air Vice Marshal Abdullahi Bello (rtd.) and American/French-born mother, Sylvaline Bello. The Nigerian, French, African-American and Congolese descent is a British Nigerian film director and film producer. She spent her early years in Nigeria before leaving for London at the age of 8. In 2001, Bello moved to the United States to study communications (specialising in Visual Media) at the American University in Washington D.C. While there, she made several short films and during a study-abroad programme in Prague, the Czech Republic, Bello made her first 16mm short film entitled Sheltered.

Then in 2005, she graduated from the American University and moved back to her country Nigeria to pursue her dreams of becoming a film producer/director. In 2007, Bello worked with prominent TV producer and presenter Mo Abudu as an Associate Producer on her hit MNet TV show Moments with Mo. Soon after, she produced the award-winning music video Greenland for well-known artist and photographer T.Y. Bello.

Winner: Best Set Design – Nollywood Movies Awards 2014.
Winner: Best Sound Design – Nollywood Movies Awards 2014.
Winner: Best Soundtrack for Efya – Nollywood Movies Awards 2014.
Winner: Best Editing – Nollywood Movies Awards 2014
Winner: Favourite New Nollywood Film – Screen Nation Awards 2014
Winner: The Trailblazer Award – Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards 2014.
Winner: Best Supporting Actress – Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards 2014.
Winner: Best Script (Comedy) – Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards 2014.
Winner: Best African Film – Black International Film Festival U.K 2013.
Nominated: Best Film 2013 – Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards 2014.
Nominated: Best Supporting Actor – Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards 2014.
Nominated: Favourite Female African International Emerging Screen Talent – Screen Nation Awards 2014
Nominated: Best Film – African International Film Festival 2013
Nominated: Best Lighting – African Movie Academy Awards 2013.
Small Boy: African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) – Award for Best Art Direction 2009.
Small Boy: African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) – Award for Best Young Child Actor 2009.
Small Boy: Nomination at the American Black Film Festival in Los Angeles 2008 (the Heineken Red Star Award for Innovation in Film)
Small Boy: Nomination at the American Black Film Festival in Los Angeles 2008 (the Target Filmmaker Award for Most Inspirational Film)
Flower Girl: African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) 2013 – Nominated for Achievement In Lighting
Flower Girl: Officially selected to be screened at the 2013 Hollywood Black Film Festival in Los Angeles on 3 October 2013