Chuko and Ari Esiri’s 2019 feature film, ‘Eyimofe‘, has again added to its increasing collection of awards.
‘Eyimofe’ clinched the Best Feature Narrative at the just-concluded 10th edition of the University of Pennsylvania-sponsored BlackStar Film Festival in the United States.
The film, which follows the stories of, Mofe a factory technician, and Rosa, a hairdresser, on their quest for what they believe will be a better life on foreign shores, premiered in Nigerian cinemas on April 16, 2021.
Meanwhile, Nigerian filmmaker, Ife Oluwamuyide and Ghanaian filmmaker, Claudia Owusu emerged winners of the third annual BlackStar Pitch, which offers filmmakers of color the chance to propose their short non-fiction projects to an illustrious panel of funders, distributors, and producers.
Oluwamuyide and Owusu will receive an artist grant and mentorship from WarnerMedia OneFifty as well as a free Vimeo Pro Account.
This year’s BlackStar Film Festival lineup had approximately 80 films, including 19 world premieres, representing 27 countries.
In addition to presenting an array of live programs, panels and select in-person events and screenings, this year also marked BlackStar’s selection by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for both short documentary and short narrative films, making BlackStar’s Best Narrative Short and Best Documentary Short winners eligible for entrance at the Academy Awards.
The BlackStar Film Festival is a Philadelphia-based film festival focused on films about and by black, brown and indigenous people from around the world.