Kudakwashe Rutendo

Kudakwashe Rutendo is an Actor and Writer based in Toronto. She was named a TIFF Rising Star in 2023 for her work in Backspot (2023) Directed by D.W. Waterson and produced by Elliot Page’s PageBoy Productions. Kudakwashe has also featured on shows such as Tracker (2024), Brilliant Minds (2026), worked on animation projects such as Work It Out Wombats (2026), and theatre productions such as Lost Heroes of Oro (Theatre by the Bay), and Vierge (Factory Theatre). Rutendo participated in the 2024 Canada Reads program championing Téa Mutonji’s novel "Shut Up You’re Pretty" to the runner-up position. And has since served on the jury of CBC’s Short Story Prize (2025), moderated with Vancouver Writers Festival, TPL, and signed a deal with Doubleday (PRH) Canada for her debut novel.