Howard Nciweni is a South African cinematographer, was born 08 May 1975 in Mount Frere, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He went to Umzimvubu Primary School and then moved on to Sobhede Secondary School. He then later studied cinematography at the Cape Town International Film School. Howard has worked both locally and internationally since the year 2000. A journey which began at MCC (The Movie Camera Company) that he joined right after film school, working in the camera department; “I asked the right questions to all the professionals who came in for gear checks for their upcoming projects, and gave myself enough time to know how all film and video cameras work before deciding on going on freelancing so I can do what I am passionate about, which is telling stories.”

Growing up as a shepherd, heading his father’s livestock from one mountain to the next, Howard discovered his passion for art. Using rocks, clay soil, and wood to create different types of crafts and instruments of which some were even taken to school as handwork projects. Cinematography became the perfect platform for him to showcase his artistic skills by telling all kind of stories through the lens.

Howard recalls, “while climbing up the ladder in the industry through my hard work and dedication I landed a job on one of the biggest Warner Bros production if not thee biggest production ever to come to our country 10 000 BC where I was one of the crew given a tough task of one of most demanding and highly rated positions on a movie set.” This is the American epic adventure film set in the prehistoric era, about the journeys of a prehistoric tribe of mammoth hunters, directed by Roland Emmerich.