sydelle@sunshinecinema.orgSydelle Willow Smith is a South African photographer, storyteller and impact producer working at the intersection of visual storytelling and social change. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Sunshine Cinema, a solar-powered mobile cinema network reimagining how films are shared across Southern Africa, bringing stories into community spaces as catalysts for dialogue and action.
With over 15 years’ experience across documentary photography, film and impact campaigns, her work centres ethical storytelling and underrepresented voices. She has collaborated with partners including The New York Times, National Geographic Society, Disney Africa, WWF and UNICEF.
Through Sunshine Cinema, she has helped build a network of youth Impact Facilitators, creating pathways to livelihoods through storytelling. Sydelle holds an Honours degree from UCT and an MSc in African Studies from Oxford, and is an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and Africa Big Bets Fellow (Rockefeller Foundation).