We had the good fortune of connecting with Farisai Kambarami and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Farisai, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Something that I’ve learned from my time in the film business, and keep learning, is that it truly is a team sport. No one individual, regardless of talent, can measure up to the magic that comes from the collaboration of passionate filmmakers.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I grew up in Zimbabwe and first used to watch movies at a drive-in theater in our families station wagon. Seeing those visuals on larger than life screens was amazing and seemed like something impossible to achieve. Through hard work, support of my loved ones and peers and a desire to alway be learning and improving I’ve been able to see my work on the big screen too.

Having a difficult name to pronounce hasn’t always made it easy but I had some sage advice from my mother–if people respect you and what you do they’ll learn to call you by your name. I’ve found that to be true and find that the film community is a safe and accepting place for many different people.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend lives in Zimbabwe so if he were to come visit me here in LA we’d most definitely have to go the beach (Zimbabwe is landlocked so seeing ocean isn’t something you get to do often there).

A concert at the Hollywood Bowl would be a must, especially if John Williams was playing.

Los Angeles has some amazing asian food too which I love. Sushi Dan in Studio City is a spot I love and Suriya Thai in Pasadena is another hidden gem.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people to shoutout for my success in life so far but I’ll pick a few. Firstly my parents and my home country of Zimbabwe by extension–it takes a village to raise a child and I’ve got a whole country behind me.

Someone who is a big influence in my journey thus far is my mentor Johnny Jensen. He was my professor at film school and really demystified the art of cinematography from a science to an expression of creativity that was already inside of me.

Website: https://www.farisai.com

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.