The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has selected the crime thriller Orah as its opening night movie.
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The 12th edition of the festival will be held from November 5 to 11 in Lagos.
AFRIFF’s Founder & Festival Director, Chioma Ude, said the movie was a bold step to drive home the Festival’s theme: Indigenous 2.0 Global.
Nigerian and international movie enthusiasts will grace the Festivals yearly opening gala night.
Orah is written and directed by acclaimed Nigerian/Canadian filmmaker Lonzo Nzekwe (Anchor Baby).
Produced by Nzekwe, Floyd Kane (Diggstown) and Amos Adetuyi (The Boathouse), the film was shot in Canada and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in late 2022.
Speaking in anticipation of the Festival, Chioma Ude said: “Filmmaking is evolving rapidly in Africa with Nigeria at the forefront of the renaissance and this year’s edition is designed to continue to reiterate the opportunities for African films and storytelling to reflect ‘global’ perspectives for the sustained success of more local films globally.
“We intend to continue to empower our storytellers to explore ideologies and techniques that connect with the larger global audience. Orah is positioned as the open night movie to drive this expectation.”
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A character-driven crime thriller, Orah showcases the story of a female taxi driver in Toronto embarking on a revenge tour to avenge the death of her son who is brutally murdered by a high-profile Nigerian criminal in a drug trafficking operation.
Nzekwe describes how the movie became a revenge movie drama when in real life his brother was murdered in 2016 by a stray bullet fired by a corrupt police officer with the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Nigeria.
“That’s when the revenge angle became more intense. I had to travel to Nigeria to get to the root of how my brother was killed.
“That’s when the rage I had inside, and the pain I saw on my mother’s face led to revenge thoughts, to getting my pound of flesh, and I realised the only way to deal with that was to channel it through a film, and I poured everything into my script.”
Starring Oyin Oladejo as Orah Madukaku (Star Trek-Discovery), additional cast include Lucky Onyekachi Ejim (Kim’s Convenience) as Bami Hazar; Agape Mngomezulu as Tariq Hazar (The Parker Andersons); Morgan Bedard (Hard Rock Medical) as Eli Pope; Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama (Titans) as Lace; Oris Erhuero (We Were Once) as Agent Garuba; O.C. Ukeje (Brotherhood) as Agent Uche Odi; Femi Lawson (Because We Are) as Jimoh Sholola; and Christopher Seivright (Take Note) as Vincent Bailey.
Developed over 11 years, director and screenwriter Lonzo Nzekwe was “very grateful to finally begin shooting with the talented cast and crew assembled and honoured to be able to shoot part of the film in Nigeria which plays such a key role,” he shared during principal photography.
In Nzekwe’s words: “I set out to create a tragically gripping and gratifying crime thriller with a gritty look that gives the audience a visceral, authentic experience into the life of our hero and her journey to avenge the death of her son. The exceptional talent of the actors cast in each role truly brings the story to life.
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“Not only does the script offer a strong and smart female role model in the lead role, but the supporting characters are well-rounded with traits of real, everyday people drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds and walks of life.
“I hope that ORAH’s themes of justice versus revenge, redemption, freedom, corruption and family separation will have a lasting impact on its viewers and inspire them in a positive way.
“As a Nigerian-born Canadian filmmaker, I felt I was uniquely qualified to tell this story of an illegal immigrant who was smuggled into Canada and sold into sex trafficking at age 15 by her uncle.”
The film was shot in and around Sudbury, Ontario in the fall of 2022 with additional principal photography taking place in Lagos, Nigeria in December 2022. With cinematography for ORAH by Ricardo Diaz (Subjects of Desire), production design by Mark Kowalsky (Frat Pack), costume design by Chantel Bedward (Stupid For You ), editing by Marc Roussel (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities), and music by Felipe Téllez (Tomorrow).
ORAH is produced by Circle Blue Entertainment and Freddie Films in association with IronFlix Inc., with the participation of Telefilm Canada, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), and ONCreates Film Fund. Level Film is the Canadian distributor.
Head of PR & Media for AFRIFF 2023, Latasha Ngwube, said the film showcase presents a complete immersion into the world of filmmaking with participation from all over Africa and the Diaspora.
Founded in 2010 by Ms Chioma Ude, an ardent film lover and entrepreneur, the festival is positioned to be the biggest annual appointment for African filmmakers in the region, celebrating the best African films and stories.
AFRIFF’s programming is themed around African films, filmmakers and African cinematic impulses making the rounds in the international film circuit in categories such as feature, shorts, student shorts, documentaries and animation.
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