Anah Ambuchi is a passionate, young entrepreneur, doubling as an activist and actress. Her personal experience with bullying fuelled her passion for film making and directing. Anah utilises her success in the industry to shed light on crucial issues such as colorism and bullying. Her film ‘Made in His Image’ received 5 different awards from 5 festivals this past year alone, including an award at the Cannes Film Festival. Anah is a positive role model to entrepreneurial and socially conscious kids and adults everywhere..

Inspired by what this young director and entrepreneur has created, Kebloom contacted Anah to ask about her projects and brand:

1) How would you best describe Anah Ambuchi?

I would describe myself as a 12-year-old actress and award-winning writer, director and producer. I created a short film called ‘Made in His Image’. ‘Made In His Image’ is a true story about how I was bullied and how I overcame the negativity and words thrown at me. I wrote ‘Made In His Image’ because I wanted share my true story and start a conversation, helping to eliminate the statistic of a child being bullied every 7 minutes.

“Just do it. If you are passionate about something, don’t wait to do it.”

2) How old were you when you began advocating for change and building your brand? 

I was 10 years old when I wrote ‘Made In His Image’ and I was 11 years old when I directed the film. 

3) What inspired your film initiatives and ideas?

I’m inspired by storytelling.  I wanted to tell a story that would inspire, encourage and personally move people to make a difference. There are a lot of important social justice issues that need to be recognised. My personal passion is to continue talking about bullying and colorism.

4) What problems are you most interested in tackling?

I’m most interested in tackling bullying and colorism. I used to be bullied about my dark complexion by people who look like me, and so I want to continue the conversation about bullying and colorism. These issues are real because and there is an increasing number of statistics about both.  Individuals in the African-American, Asian and Indian communities deal with colorism on a daily basis and so I’m passionate about creating films that discuss these topics.

“Live by the saying: don’t just dream about it, be about it.”

5) Who supported you in creating/building your personal brand?

My mother is my biggest supporter! She has always been there for me, and I can’t thank her enough for what she has done for me. She is the reason that I got through the bullying I experienced.  If it weren’t for my mom, I don’t know what I would have done. I also surrounded myself with people who loved me and encouraged me to create my brand. My acting coach, mentor and co-director were very supportive in helping me create a film that I would be proud of. My best friend Nadia and her mom were also supportive in encouraging me. Lastly, my family has been extremely supportive in helping me raise finances for the film and I will always appreciate them for that!

6) What advice would you give to aspiring young entrepreneurs?

My advice for an aspiring social entrepreneur is to just do it. If you are passionate about something, don’t wait to do it. Find people that you trust in your network and see how they can help you. You never know until you try. Do lots of research about what you want to do, and lastly, live by the saying: don’t just dream about it, be about it!

7) To what extent would a platform like Kebloom have helped you achieve your dreams?

Kebloom is a great platform to further my story, inspiring other children to use their crafts to help within their surrounding communities.

8) What has been the best part about developing your films?

The best part about developing my short film ‘Made In His Image,’ was for it to be shown at film festivals globally. I’ve had people who have seen my film tell me that they were moved and inspired by it. It’s a beautiful and amazing feeling to know that I can empower people at such a young age. I created the film because I wanted young people who are being bullied to know that they are not alone and that they too can overcome bullying.

9) What skills did you bring to your personal brand and feel you have developed over time?

In developing my brand, I’ve developed a lot of organization and storytelling skills. Being a director is hard work and as a director you have to be extremely organized. The cast and crew need to trust you when you’re on set and if you’re not organized it will show in the final product. One of the things about being organized as a director is ensuring that you are prepared beforehand.  Knowing what shots and angles to use and also which locations to shoot within is very important. Being a director comes with a lot of responsibility and that’s what I had to learn.

About the Author:

Ellie McRae is the blogger, interviewer and content creator for Kebloom! When she’s not writing kick-ass articles, you’ll find her studying marketing and drinking copious amounts of coffee. Find out more about Ellie here.