A portrait of Natasha Ofili looking over her shoulder and smiling

Alumni

FIDM Grad Natasha Ofili Debuts Film at Slamdance

After working in the fashion industry for years, Merchandise Product Development Graduate Natasha Ofili, who is Deaf, became a full-time actress. The FIDM Grad starred in plays and in commercials before being cast on Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series, The Politician, which starred Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow. Natasha recently made her U.S. filmmaking debut at the film festival Slamdance with The Multi, a short film “that tackles the impact of lifelong trauma and mental illness, from the perspective of the Black Deaf Female community."

A film still of Natasha Ofili in a yellow dress in front of a large window with a city view

The Multi previously made its world premiere at the BFI in London in December. The short, which explores the world of an isolated Black Deaf woman, was filmed between lockdowns during the pandemic with a majority Deaf cast. The Multi has been accepted into six film festivals so far, including Capital City Black Film Festival, Toronto Black Film Festival, Seattle Deaf Film Festival, LA Black Film Festival. The Multi has been accepted into the Capital City Black Film Festival, Toronto Black Film Festival, Seattle Deaf Film Festival, and LA Black Film Festival.

A film still of Natasha Ofili staring straight at the camera with a serious expression