Documentary on Soyinka wins at PAFF film festival in US
A documentary film, Amazing Grace: YorubaWorlds, featuring Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has won the Programmers Award for Best Feature Documentary at the Pan African Film
A documentary film, Amazing Grace: YorubaWorlds, featuring Africa's first Nobel Laureate in Literature, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has won the Programmers Award for Best Feature Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles, California.
The movie was directed by Haitian-American filmmaker Raynald Leconte.
The sold-out premiere at Culver Theater 3 was attended by Leconte and Editor Nicolas Sicurella. Prof. Wole Soyinka, while the producers Tunde Kelani and Rotimi Alakija were unable to attend.
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Other prominent members of the Yoruba community present included Olubunmi Olukanni (Ojise Isedale), who served as host and Master of Ceremonies, Fatimoh Mohammed; Wale Jimoh, Mr. & Mrs. Ayeloja, and Mr & Mrs Lekan Salam representing Ọmọ Yoruba of Southern California.
Olukanni expressed his delight at the film receiving the Programmer's Award for Best Feature Documentary in the United States, noting that the recognition also honours Prof. Wole Soyinka, whose visa was controversially revoked last year by the US Embassy in Nigeria.
Apart from Soyinka, the groundbreaking documentary features global cultural icons including Ooni of Ìfẹ́ Ọba Ẹnitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), Gilberto Gil, Carlinhos Brown, Brazil's Minister of Culture Margareth Menezes, Seun Kuti, Brymo, Falana, Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, the Araba of Ife, Molara Wood, Iya Agba Cece of Brazil, and the legendary Fela Kuti.
