Nigerian filmmaker Cheta Chukwu selected for TFL’s Writer-Director Program

The TFL is a Turin-based laboratory that primarily supports a person working on their first and second fiction feature film. Its four main fields of involvement are training, development, funding and distribution. It also offers networking opportunities thanks to the co-production market, the TFL Meeting Event, and many other occasions.

The residential workshop will be held from June 20, 2024, to June 25, 2024, in Amsterdam, with subsequent online sessions spread over the following two months.

The filmmaker, Chukwu, first captured the hearts of audiences with his breakout comedy film Payday (2018), which follows the story of two best friends, Paul and Ortega, whose landlord died just before their annual rent was due. Without a landlord to pay rent to, the pair decided to have some fun with the money. Unfortunately, the landlord had a daughter, Yemisola, who informed them that they would be evicted if they did not pay their rent within 24 hours. Paul and Ortega find themselves in a race against time to earn enough money to pay their rent.

The film was celebrated across Nigerian and nine francophone countries, and secured distribution on major platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Chukwu’s upcoming rom-com, Strawberry Chinny, has been chosen to appear in the Cultural Connections section at the Essence Film Festival, which will take place from July 4 to July 7, 2024.

Strawberry Chinny tells the story of a Nigerian makeup artist named Chinny, played by Genoveva Umeh, who moved in with her childhood best friend Ifeanyi, played by Chimezie Imo, in a complicated living arrangement after being dumped by her boyfriend.

Chukwu also recently wrapped production on Adam Bol, a Kazakhstan/Nigerian comedy that was filmed in both countries. This project further showcases his ability to create cross-cultural narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.

The TFL Extended writer-director lab represents a significant opportunity for Chukwu to embrace his craft alongside other talented filmmakers from around the world, such as Anne Feinsilber (Script Tutor – France), Ayman El Amir (Script Tutor – Egypt), Chiara Laudani (Script Tutor – Italy), Marietta Von Hausswolff Von Baumgarten (Script Tutor – Sweden), and Isabella Weber (Script Tutor – Italy).