CJ Obasi's 'Mami Wata' is headed to United Kingdom

CJ Obasi's Mami Wata is headed to the United Kingdom.

The award-winning West African folklore has been picked up by Aya Films, a UK-based distribution company. A visit to the Aya Film website shows that the black-and-white film will screen across 14 states between November 17 - December 7, 2023.

Mami Wata tells the tale of an African mermaid in a village that runs into chaos due to disagreements between villagers and the goddess' intermediary over the deteriorating state of the village.

Directed by C.J. "Fiery" Obasi and produced by Oge Obasi, the cast of this movie includes Rita Edochie, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Evelyne Ily Juhen, Kelechi Udegbe, and Tough Bone.

Ahead of the movie's UK screening, Mami Wata debuted in Nigerian cinemas in September but grossed just over ₦4.5 million after three weeks.

This latest announcement joins the growing catalogue of exciting wins the movie has garnered in recent times. They include;

Mami Wata received three awards at the 19th edition of the African Movie Awards (AMAA) which was held on Sunday, October 29, 2023.
On October 15, 2023, it was announced as Nigeria's official submission for Oscars 2024.

In May 2023, the movie was picked up by Dekanalog to screen across cinemas in North America.
Won the Sundance Film Festival 2023 award for World Cinema Cinematography Award (Dramatic) and the African Critics Award, Cinematography Award.
Set Design Award at Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in 2023.

Watch the official UK trailer: