Niyi Coker, Jr

‘Niyi Coker, Jr.  is a Professor of Theatre, Television, and Film at San Diego State University. He is a recipient of the prestigious Washington DC Kennedy Centre Award in Directing.  His documentary “Black Studies USA” was Finalist for Best documentary at the Hollywood Black Film Festival. His narrative “Pennies for the Boatman” won Best Film script at the 2012 Madrid International. His documentary film “Ota Benga – Human at the Zoo” received its premiere at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC in 2015. The film won 2016 Best documentary at London International Film Festival and 2017 Best Foreign documentary at the Nice International in France.

He received a Carnegie Fellowship in 2016 and 2017, to write and direct “Miriam Makeba – Mama Africa the Musical”  in Cape Town, South Africa, which was produced by the United States Consulate in Cape Town. It opened at ArtsCape in Cape Town in February 2017 and toured the USA in 2018 & 2019, courtesy of the U.S. State Department and the Carnegie Foundation. He is Producer of the film Tasmania which showcased at the 2024 Cannes film festival in France.

Before he joined San Diego State University as Director of the School of Theatre, Television & Film (2018-2024); he served for 14 years as the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Chair & Distinguished Professor for Theatre, Film and International Studies at the University of Missouri.   Niyi has served as Visiting Artistic Director at several international theatres including: Bermuda National Gallery & Theatre;  K3 Theatre, Malmo Hogskola in Sweden; National Theatre of Nigeria; ArtsCape in Cape Town, and at Mandela Bay Theatre in Gqeberha – South Africa.  He is Founding Director of the Africa World Documentary Film Festival (AWDFF) which is currently in its 18^th season, and earned two Ford Foundation awards.  He is author of two books The Music & Social Criticism of Fela Kuti, and Ola Rotimi’s African Theatre, and has authored several book chapters, articles and book reviews.  He received the B.A. degree from the University of Ife, MFA from the City University of New York, and Ph.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia.