Mariama COLLEY
Mariama COLLEY is an International award-winning Actress, radio personality, and gender rights activist, whose passion is rooted in utilizing art as a platform to effect change within her community. In The Gambia, where harmful traditional practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) are still prevalent, she is recognized for rejecting and speaking up against societal issues affecting women and girls in the Gambia.
Mariama uses her radio platform by hosting a mentorship show for young people call the Let’s Talk Show to discuss pertinent societal issues affecting her community. In 2013, Mariama was nominated for the African Oscar Awards for her role in the movie the Hand of Fate. In 2020 she won US Hollywood Int’l Golden Film Award for Outstanding Up & Comer Actress and in 2021 Best Actress at the Long Story Shorts film festival in Romania, for her role in the short movie MÉBÉT.
Her professional experience aims at creating impactful screenplays and films that would disseminate solutions in making the world a better place for everyone to live in. Mariama volunteers in her community by educating women about their rights and speaking up on violence against women, teenage pregnancy, and irregular migration, just a few of the topics she touches on.
Mariama was awarded the National Certificate of Merit as Youth of the Month by The Gambian Ministry of Youths and Sports, in collaboration with the Balance Group, for her contribution to national development. In 2018, Mariama was selected to take part in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) a U.S Department of State’s premier professional exchange program.
Mariama is the founder of Studio 411 Production, a vehicle she plans on using to highlight empowering stories through films and theater plays.