Tigist Selam

Tigist Selam moved to New York City in 2009 to pursue a career in acting and screenwriting. Shortly after arriving, she met director Nelson George, who asked her to write her first feature film, Left Unsaid. She also starred in the film, which premiered at the HBO American Black Film Festival in 2010. In 2013, she founded her own production company, Selam Productions. She also starred in the company’s first film, Migrations, alongside Chris Rock, Saul Williams, and Roger Guenveur Smith. The film, directed by Nelson George and produced by Selam Productions and Urban Romances, is scheduled to premiere in late 2013. At present, Tigist Selam is working on a new Selam Productions project, which is currently in preproduction.

As a member of the Ethiopia Reads board, Tigist Selam assists the organization in its mission to increase access not only to books, but also to education, educator training, and youth mentoring, in Ethiopia. In 2010, she became the official face of Tadias, the country’s major lifestyle magazine. She holds a master’s degree in communications, culture, and society from Goldsmiths University of London, as well as a bachelor of arts in international relations from San Francisco State University.