Abashimba – Return of Lions to Nsumbu

Matt Blair and Mana Meadows are a husband-and-wife filmmaking team whose work sits at the intersection of conservation, culture, and visual storytelling. Together they co-directed Abashimba – Return of Lions to Nsumbu, bringing complementary skills and perspectives to every stage of production. Matt, Founder of Conservation Connect Films, is a Director and Director of Photography with a professional background in conservation livelihoods and human–wildlife coexistence. He draws on years of fieldwork in Zambia and Zimbabwe to craft intimate, visually striking narratives. Beyond directing, Matt often collaborates on international productions, helping achieve critical shots, sequences, and storylines. Mana is a Writer, Director, and Photographer whose career spans southern and east Africa. A seasoned conservation storyteller, she has written for leading local and international publications and co-founded Conservation Storytelling, a platform dedicated to elevating authentic conservation narratives. In 2020, she authored, edited, and photographed Empowering the People of Botswana through Tourism, a commissioned book chronicling a forty-year safari legacy. Mana brings a strong editorial voice and a focus on women-empowerment narratives to their films, informed by extensive experience in species relocation and conservation initiatives across Zimbabwe and Zambia. Working side by side, Matt and Mana combine cinematic craft with deep cultural and ecological understanding. Their films reveal the nuanced ties between people, wildlife, and place—immersive stories that celebrate resilience, challenge convention, and illuminate the vital role of community in conservation’s future.