2021 Vancouver Black Independent Film Festival

SAWABONA & Kuma & Shujaa Wutu

Expired January 1, 2022 4:00 AM
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Denzel Onaba is a Vancouver based Black child Actor who comes across as a gentle soul with unmatched confidence on screen and on the monkey bars. Denzel began his acting journey at the age of 8 when he was contacted out of the blue by a casting director for a role in Break Away. His two days on set opened his eyes to this new world and lit a fire in his belly for acting that has only grown stronger since. Denzel, accurately named after Denzel Washington (ironically for his good nature not his acting capabilities) has since been in many commercials, including Walmart Families, numerous student and indie films and is now represented by an amazing agent. When not on set, you can find Denzel playing with his younger sister and also actress Jazlyn, the other children his family fosters, and learning Ukulele from the notable Mark Luongo. As a self directed home schooled child, Denzel enjoys spending his days reading novels, playing video games, biking and playing football, watching ocean documentaries, and he loves everything Harry Potter.


Born and raised in Mali, Hawa Aliou N'Diaye studied business law at the University of Juridical and Political Sciences of Bamako from 2005 to 2010. She completed several internships in courts, law firms, tax offices and in customs and at the University of Letters and Sciences of Bamako (ULSHB). She became a legal assistant in 2014. In 2015, she directed her first short fiction film Les mains d'or de Samba selected at FESPACO in 2017. She has been participating in writing residencies for film projects since 2014 and during this time has trained in cinema at the Gaston-Berger University in Saint-Louis, Senegal. In 2016, she directed L'absence a short documentary, which won several awards at different festivals. That same year, she participated in the co-production of the feature-length documentary The School of Hostages. Her documentary film, Kuma!, which centers on the issue of incest, was released in March 2019 and which several awards. She is also Director of the "Fêrê Demsenw" festival, a cultural festival for children. She has trained several young people in scriptwriting and is also president of the association Scène des Arts et Culture which innovates Malian culture.


Tom Johns as a young ambitious filmmaker aiming to tell stories that changes people’s life. He started his film making career in 2016 by making short films such as Kitanzi, Cheusi Dawa, Ngalangala and Way Out. This is his debut feature film.

A lazy young men has to get money as soon as possible for his mother’s medications and

bride price for his fiancee before his fiancee's parents have a young lady, his sister-in-law,

married.

  • Year
    2021
  • Runtime
    1hr 25
  • Language
    Swahili
  • Country
    Tanzania, United Republic of
  • Premiere
    North American
  • Rating
    PG-13
  • Note
    Tom Johns as a young ambitious filmmaker aiming to tell stories that changes people’s life. He started his film making career in 2016 by making short films such as Kitanzi, Cheusi Dawa, Ngalangala and Way Out. This is his debut feature film.
  • Director
    Tom Johns
  • Screenwriter
    Tom Johns
  • Producer
    Friday Kyando
  • Filmmaker
    Tom Johns
  • Cast
    Hemedy Sadick - Ali Hanifa Said - Amina Zubeda Mngoya- Zuwena Said Mashuhuri- Waziri Kitola Chekanae- Baba Zuwena Ashura Said- Mama Zuwena Abdul Kingo- Mwenyekiti Juma Mkupula- Mshenga Erickson John-Kipingu Said Machupa- Machupa
  • Cinematographer
    Kelvin Mlange
  • Editor
    Friday Kyando, Tom Johns
  • Sound Design
    Eric Ndeki
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