The 2024 Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is set to take place in Los Angeles, California, from February 6 to February 19, 2024. It has confirmed that two Nigerian feature films, “Mojisola” and “This Is Lagos,” will be part of its esteemed roster. With an aim to honor black cinema, art, and culture, the festival will present more than 140 films along with a wide array of Q&A sessions and in-depth conversations.
The director of the two chosen Nigerian films, Kenneth Gyang, expressed his excitement about this year’s lineup and emphasized the role PAFF played in kicking off Black History Month festivities. “As it launches the celebrations for Black History Month, the Pan African Film Festival holds immense significance,” said Gyang. “It provides a vital platform for cultural exchange and representation of diverse narratives from the African diaspora.”
“This Is Lagos” tells the story of Stevo, a young guy navigating the fast-paced city of Lagos while pursuing his dream of becoming a superstar. The cast includes Gabriel Afolayan, Kate Henshaw, Ikechukwu Onunaku, Rahama Sadau, and more.
Conversely, “Mojisola” portrays the story of a young girl facing an inexplicable life-threatening sickness while trying to save her love.
Re-entering the festival ten years after his debut feature film was chosen in 2014, Gyang declared his happiness, adding, “I’m glad to be back there once more.” My debut feature film, “Confusion Na Wa,” took home the Jury Prize in 2014. I’m glad to be back with two features after ten years.
The cast is led by Gabriel Afolayan, who plays Stevo. Other actors in the group are Greg Ojefua, Mike Afolarin, Jibrin Homsuk, Laura Pepple, Rahama Sadau, Kate Henshaw, Enyinna Nwigwe, Sani Muazu, and David Jones David.
As a non-profit corporation in the United States, the Pan African Film Festival‘s (PAFF) goal is to promote “cultural understanding among people of African descent” through the display of art and film. Every year in February, the corporation holds a film festival and an arts festival in Los Angeles, and in 2013, the film festival was called “the largest black film festival” in the United States by the Los Angeles Times.