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‘Alaskaland’ Film on Nigerians in Alaska, Premieres at Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival

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A film we’ve been watching closely, and are looking forward to… Writer/director Chinonye Chukwu’s feature film debut Alaskaland will make its premiere at the Run & Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival next month, which runs from August 7 to August 11.

The drama centers on estranged Nigerian-American siblings (brother and sister) who reunite in their hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Here’s its official synopsis:

After a tragic accident, Chukwuma, an Alaskan-raised Nigerian, is separated from his younger sister, Chidinma, who moves to Nigeria with their Uncle until she becomes of legal age. Two years later, the siblings reconnect to find their estrangement has created new personal and cultural frictions in ways that bring them closer to each other and their roots, as well as help them define what it means to be a Nigerian in Alaska.

It’s one of a handful of good-looking feature films that will be screening at the film festival next month; and I’ll be highlighting some of those titles (specifically those we haven’t written much about) in future posts.

Congrats to Chinonye, her crew and cast (Alex Ubokudom, Chioma Dunkley, Leland Martin, Corey Campbell and Chijike Nwoga).

More news from the Run & Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival lineup coming (including a summary of my chat with founder Floyd Rance).

Source: Tambay A. Obenson, Indie Wire

Here’s the teaser trailer for Alaskaland:

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