Talented Nigerian film maker, Ogo Okpue made the country proud in the just held 2023 American Black Film Festival (ABFF).
His acclaimed movie, A Song From The Dark won him the Best Actor Award and it tied with Bryan Keith Montgomery for the Best Film Director Award.
A song From The Dark according to the producers is a fantasy -horror film based on African traditional mysticism.
Recall that at the last edition of the Africa Movie academy Awards (AMAA), the movie received six nominations in various categories and Okpue won as the Best Director in Africa.
While speaking about the accolades the movie has garnered so far, Okpue said: “Winning at the largest black film festival in the world was an absolute honour! It’s been three years grafting in the dark, and then within a year you end up in Miami Beach accepting two big prestigious awards as well as Best Director at Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles?
“God did it! Congratulations to my lead actress for winning Best Actor as well. Congratulations to my fellow 2023 ABFF winners! I will say many thanks to Jeff and Nicole Friday for birthing ABFF and giving diverse voices such an amazing platform.
“The story dates back to a certain period of my childhood when my family would visit my grandmother in our village. She happened to be a well-respected traditionalist. Tales of her would intrigue us and as I grew older, I regretted not knowing her more. She was an enigma and I wondered what it would have been like if some of her tales were captured in books.
“The world of African mysticism has not been explored enough in world cinema. In most cases it is vilified. I think in Africa, our superheroes have slept long enough, African stories are as diverse and as entertaining as the continent itself, so I thought ‘why not add more African heroes to the fictional world of cinema?”
Starring in the movie are Nigeria’s Nse Ikpe Etim, Wale Ojo and Ghanaian actresses Vanessa Vanderpuye, Octavia Gilmore, Dean Kilby etc
Already in its 27th edition ABFF is the biggest annual black film festival in the world that celebrates black talents in the movie industry worldwide.