Athi Petela is a South African writer, director, and all-round creative who is now best known for her short film, Trapped. Before that, Athi worked on shows like Noem My SkollieThe Whale Caller as an intern, then joined Black Brain Pictures. There she worked on shows like Lockdown, Side Dish, and Loving Thokoza, to name a few. She has also worked on a couple of commercials. Athi has also written and directed PSA’s on gender-based violence and road safety. One of her proudest works is a project she did with the United Nations Population Fund, where she wrote and directed PSA’s about HIV and AIDS, COVID-19, gender-based violence, and the human trafficking of disabled people. Trapped is Athi’s labor of love. Her aim is to make impactful and well-crafted stories.