Temi Ami-Williams

Temi Ami-Williams is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, actor, costume designer, and creative entrepreneur whose work spans film, theatre, fashion, and cultural curation. She currently serves as the CEO and Film & Media Content Producer at New Wine Studios, where she leads the development and production of socially conscious media projects. 

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As an actor, Ami-Williams has received international recognition for her performances. She won Best Actress at FESPACO in 2021 for her role in Eyimofe, which premiered at the 70th Berlinale in 2020, and the same year (2021), she received a nomination for acting at The Future Awards Africa. In 2025, she won Best Actress at the Eko International Film Festival for her performance in The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, a film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024.

 

Ami-Williams’ creative practice extends into directing and producing. She produced and directed the project Ireti, and also produced and performed in the performance film called Oba Omo. She made her professional theatre directorial debut in High On Stage, produced by Maggie Osuome for Road 14 Studios, which was part of the 2024 Lagos International Theatre Festival at Terra Kulture, and then later independently in December of the same year.

 

Her curatorial work includes serving as curator for two editions of the Choreomundus Dance Film Festival in 2022 and 2024, contributing to the development of interdisciplinary dance-film culture.

 

As a costume designer, Ami-Williams began her career creating elaborate carnival and theatre costumes before expanding into film and high-fashion collaborations. She has worked with prominent stylists, including Uduak Betiku and Daniel Obasi, producing bespoke pieces featured in music videos for artists such as Tiwa Savage, Flavour N'abania, Davido, and Wurld. She also served as costume designer for Agbara-Nla, a feature film remake of the first film produced by Mount Zion Faith Ministries, now produced by Chris Odeh. In addition, she redesigned the visual costume identity of the globally recognized BANTU Crew music collective.

 

Beyond her artistic career, Ami-Williams is the founder and president of the Phoenix Empowerment Foundation, an NGO dedicated to supporting child healthcare, youth skills development, and community outreach initiatives in Nigeria. Through her creative and philanthropic work, she continues to build platforms that empower emerging talent and use storytelling to drive social transformation.