‘Juju Stories’ Wins An AFRIFF Award 

At the recently concluded AFRIFF, the anthology thriller film made its debut.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

The anthology film ‘Juju Stories,’ directed by Abba T Makama, CJ Obasi, and Michael Omonua, has won AFRIFF’s Best Director award for 2021.

CJ Obasi, the film’s co-director, announced the film’s amazing new feat via social media.

“And @jujustories_ by the @surreal16collective picked up the Best Director(s) Award at @afriff What a week it’s been! I would like to thank the Features Jury for the honour, the entire organizing committee of AFRIFF, Creative Director @therealjennyalonzo and the Amazing @realchiomaude for being a relentless and consistent visionary…” CJ wrote.

The three-part anthology film, starring Timini Egbuson, Belinda Agedah Yanga, Paul Utomi, Adebukola Oladipupo, and Nengi Adoki, investigates juju in contemporary Lagos through three stories: ‘Suffer the Witch,’ directed by Obasi, ‘Yam,’ directed by Makama, and ‘Love Portion,’ directed by Omonua.

In ‘Suffer the Witch,’ love and friendship become obsession as a young college lady catches the attention of her crush. In ‘Love Potion,’ an unmarried woman agrees to utilize juju to find herself the perfect partner, while in ‘Yam,’ consequences ensue when a street urchin picks up seemingly random money from the roadside.

The film has received positive feedback from audiences all around Africa so far. It launched on October 31 in 12 African countries through Canal Olympia distribution. Obasi also mentioned in his AFRIFF appreciation post that they are in talks with Filmone, a Nigerian distribution company, for a distribution contract.

Francis Nebot executive produces ‘Juju Stories,’ which is produced by Oge Obasi.