Blitz Bazawule

Blitz Bazawule (Blitz the Ambassador) is a Ghanaian filmmaker, musician, and visual artist based in New York.

He is currently set to direct the Warner Bros. musical film THE COLOR PURPLE, based on the Tony-winning Broadway musical. Blitz most recently collaborated with Beyonce on her BLACK IS KING visual album now available on Disney+. BLACK IS KING reimagines the lessons of The Lion King. It is an affirmation of a grand purpose, with lush visuals that celebrate Black resilience and culture. His feature directorial debut, THE BURIAL OF KOJO, was acquired by Netflix through Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Films. The film won Best Narrative Feature at Urbanworld Film Festival and has become a critical breakout, scoring the rare 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Blitz shot the film in Ghana with a local cast, and he composed and performed the score.

As a composer and musician, Blitz has released four studio albums and performed internationally on the festival circuit with his band Embassy Ensemble. Blitz directed many of his own music videos before making the jump to features, including the award-winning DIASPORADICAL TRILOGÍA. Blitz is a Senior TED Fellow, recipient of the Vilcek Prize, and the Guggenheim 2020 Fellowship. He is also the founder of the Africa Film Society, an organization focused on the preservation of classic African cinema.