'Mojisola' and 'This Is Lagos' selected for 2024 Pan African Film Festival

Nigerian feature movies, Mojisola and This Is Lagos have been announced as part of the selection for the 2024 Pan African Film Festival (PAFF).

The film festival held in Los Angeles, California, is a tribute to black film, art, and culture, and this year will feature the screening of more than 140 films accompanied by a diverse array of Q&A sessions and in-depth discussions.

Kenneth Gyang, the director of both Nigerian features shared with ShockNg his excitement about this year's festival selection. “The Pan African Film Festival holds immense significance as it kickstarts the celebrations for Black History Month, providing a vital platform for cultural exchange and representation of diverse narratives from the African diaspora. As a cultural ambassador from Nigeria, I am excited to present these stories from Cinema Kpatakpata," he expressed.

This is Lagos tells the story of Stevo, a young man chasing superstardom in a city filled with bad actors, as he explores the hustle and bustle of living in a city like Lagos.

Led by Gabriel Afolayan who plays the role of Stevo, other cast members include Ikechukwu Onunaku, Rahama Sadau, Kate Henshaw, Enyinna Nwigwe, Sani Muazu, David Jones David, Greg Ojefua, Mike Afolarin, Jibrin Homsuk and Laura Pepple.

Mojisola on the other hand, tells the story of a young girl who goes on a quest to save her love and faces an unexplainable life-threatening illness.

Gyang returns to the festival 10 years after his first feature movie was selected in 2014. Gyang said, "I am happy to be back there again. In 2014, my first feature film Confusion Na Wa won the Jury Prize there. Ten years later, I am happy to be back with two features”.

This Is Lagos was initially scheduled for a nationwide premiere in December 2023, which was eventually cancelled with no definite rescheduling information available.