About Gelila

Gelila Bekele is a Model and a documentary filmmaker.
Born in Ethiopia, and having lived between Europe and the US, Gelila settled in New York City, where she was discovered and signed to Ford Model Management. Bouncing around the globe became her lifestyle as she graced the covers of leading fashion publications and worked with many of the industry’s best photographers and brands. But in 2013, she got behind the camera and made her jump into directing.

Gelila has been a fierce advocate for young womens’ right to equal opportunities, in her homeland of Ethiopia, and abroad, with focus on fundamental rights, including access to clean water and education. This passion lives in her most recent documentary films, Mai: Life is not Honey 2018 (Director), Ambessa 2019 (Executive Producer), and Model Activists 2017 (Director). In 2018, she authored the photography book Guzo, a visual chronicle of daily life in Ethiopia.