Will Niava

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Will Niava
Will Niava at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.jpg
Niava at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival
Born (1992-02-17) February 17, 1992 (age 33) [1]
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Education Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema
Occupations
  • Film director
  • Screenwriter
Years active2019–present
Known for Zoo
Jazz Infernal
Website willniava.com

Will Niava (born February 17, 1992) is an Ivorian-Ghanaian film director and screenwriter based in Montreal, Quebec. He is best known for his short films Zoo (2019) and Jazz Infernal (2025), the latter of which won the Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Niava was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and raised in Ghana. [3] He moved to Canada to pursue film studies, attending the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University in Montreal. [4] His multicultural background and fluency in multiple languages often inform the themes of his work, which frequently explore the intersection of African and Western identities.

Career

Short films

Niava's directorial debut, Zoo (2019), premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. [5] The film, which depicts a tense encounter between three youths and a police officer, was praised for its handling of power dynamics and racial tension. [6] It was selected for the Criterion Collection and was a runner-up for the Audience Choice Award at the 2020 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival. [7]

His second short film, Element, won the Best Short Film award in the "Rebels with a Cause" competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2023. [8]

In 2025, Niava released Jazz Infernal , which premiered in the Short Cuts program at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). [9] The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2025. [10] In January 2026, it won the Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction at the Sundance Film Festival, with the jury citing its unique blend of "evocative atmosphere" and "global storytelling influences." [2]

Feature films

Niava co-wrote the screenplay for the feature film Paradise (2026) alongside director Jérémy Comte. [11] The film, a drama set between Quebec and Ghana, is slated to premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2026.

Commercial work

Outside of narrative film, Niava has directed commercial campaigns for major international brands including the NBA, Amazon, and Apple Music. [12]

Filmography

YearTitleDirectorWriterNotes
2019 Zoo YesYesShort film
2023ElementYesYesShort film
2025 Jazz Infernal YesYesShort film
2026 Paradise NoYesFeature film (Co-writer)

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2020 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival Audience Choice Award (Shorts)ZooRunner-up
2023 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Best Short Film (Rebels with a Cause)ElementWon
2025 Toronto International Film Festival Canada's Top Ten Jazz InfernalSelected
2026 Sundance Film Festival Jury Award: International FictionJazz InfernalWon

References

  1. ↑ "Will Niava". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "2026 Sundance Film Festival Reveals Short Film Program Award Winners". Sundance Institute. January 27, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Niava, Will". African Film Festival, Inc. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  4. ↑ Alice Austin, "How to make a short film in just one day". Artlist, November 14, 2024.
  5. ↑ "ZOO de Will Niava : à voir IMMÉDIATEMENT!". Mon cinéma québécois en France, November 22, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Zoo: Expertly Challenged Power Dynamics In A World Of Unequals". Indie Shorts Mag, January 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Cinefest Sudbury announces its 2020 award winners". Sudbury Star , October 11, 2020.
  8. ↑ Davide Abbatescianni, "Emma Dante’s Misericordia wins the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival". Cineuropa, November 20, 2023.
  9. ↑ Melanie Goodfellow, "Idris Elba’s ‘Dust To Dreams’ Starring Seal Set To Premiere In TIFF Shorts + Full Lineup". Deadline Hollywood , August 7, 2025.
  10. ↑ Jamie Casemore, "TIFF unveils 2025 selections for Canada’s Top Ten features, shorts". Playback , January 6, 2025.
  11. ↑ Jamie Casemore, "Tandem Films boards Jérémy Comte’s Paradise". Playback , January 15, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Will Niava – We Are Colossale". We Are Colossale. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
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