… Wins awards at AFRIFF, ENIFF and LAFF
The Man Died, the feature film inspired by Wole Soyinka’s prison notes of same title, has been nominated for the award of “Best Feature Narrative” at the 33rd Pan African Film and Arts Festival, which holds February 4-17 in Los Angeles, USA, on the theme, Dream Beyond.
The good news was contained in a letter signed by Miki Goral, the festival’s Filmmaker Liaison & Research Director, on behalf of the PAFF directorate. Dated January 28, 2025, the letter reads in part: “I am happy to inform you that The Man Died has been nominated for the “juried Best Feature Narrative at the Pan African Film Festival.”
An earlier letter from the directorate had hinted that the 105 minutes feature will be screened on February 12 and 14 at the Culver Theatre, Culver city, California. It is the film’s first appearance in the United States, having done London, UK twice, and North Africa twice, among others.
Established in 1992 by Hollywood veterans, Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Lethal Weapon), the late Ja’Net DuBois (“Good Times”), and Ayuko Babu, the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) has, according to its website, remained “dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression. For over 30 years, PAFF has been the international beacon for the African diaspora film and arts communities. Every year, it showcases over 200 new high-quality Black films from the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, the South Pacific, Canada, and increasingly, Asia.
The latest news is coming on the heels of recent accomplishments of the film, which has so far won three awards, including the latest at the 14th Luxor African Film Festival in Upper Egypt, earlier this month, where it won “Best African Film That Tackle An Important African Issue.” Thirty-five of the hundreds of entries from 150 countries, competed in various categories of the final stage of the festival founded in 2010.
Before Luxor, the film had clinched Best Screenplay trophies at both the African International film Festival, AFRIFF, (November 3-9, Lagos), and at the 35th Carthage International Film Festival, held November 14-21 in Tunis. It had also won Best Audience Choice Award at the Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival, ENIFF, Enugu, November 27-30.
The film stars a coterie of renowned names on the Nigerian screen, including Wale Ojo as Wole, Sam Dede as Yisa, Norbert Young (Prison Superintendent), Francis Onwochei (Prison Controller) and Edmund Enaibe as Commissioner; as well as international actors, London-UK-based Christiana Oshunniyi (Laide Soyinka), and Los Angeles, USA-based Abraham Awam-Amkpa (Johnson), among others.
Meanwhile in continuation of its global tour, The Man Died, has also been selected for the Jo’Burg Film Festival, holding March 11-16. It is being considered for special screenings at educational institutions in Florence, Italy; Abu Dhabi in the UAE; Oxford University, UK, as well as at New York University, Harvard University, and at Ithaca College, all in the USA, among others. This is as it is also being reviewed by at least three major global streaming platforms, and international distribution channels.