MCC Theater & African Film Festival to Present LA FEMME ANJOLA Screening

MCC Theater in collaboration with African Film Festival will present the North American premiere of La femme Anjola, directed by Mildred Okwo and written by Tunde Babalola. The event will take place at MCC Theater (511 W 52nd St) on Sunday November 21 at 6pm. Tickets are available at https://mcctheater.org/tix/nollywood-movie-night-la-femme-anjola/.

La femme Anjola (The Woman Anjola) is an African neo-noir crime thriller about a young Lagos Investment Banker whose life is turned upside down when he falls for a beautiful singer married to wealthy gangster.

"As a filmmaker, I am drawn to telling stories that capture the essence of my observations and "La Femme Anjola" is one such film," said director Mildred Okwo. "With this project, I have the opportunity to present a classic noir tale with a distinctively African twist; one that speaks for the times as it chronicles the journey of a young middle- class man who is simply a product of today's Nigeria. In many ways, his story is the story of modern-day Nigeria."

La femme Anjola stars Rita Dominic, Nonso Bassey, Mumbi Maina and Femi Jacobs and is produced by Mildred Okwo and Rita Dominic of The Audrey Silva Company, the producers of the acclaimed movie The Meeting.

This film screening was created in partnership with The Audrey Silva Company, African Film Festival, and Walk Tall Girl Productions and will be presented in conversation with MCC's current production of Nollywood Dreams by Burnt Umber Playwright-in-Residence Jocelyn Biohand directed by Saheem Ali (Fires in The Mirror). Nollywood Dreams began previews on October 21, opened on November 11, and has a limited run through November 28, 2021. Tickets are available at mcctheater.org.

A special thank you to Walk Tall Girl Productions for bringing these organizations together and making this collaboration possible.

It's the 1990s and in Lagos, Nigeria, the Nollywood film industry is exploding and taking the world by storm. Ayamma dreams of stardom while working at her parents' travel agency alongside her lovable and celebrity-obsessed sister Dede. When Ayamma lands an audition for a new film by Gbenga Ezie, Nigeria's hottest director, she comes head-to-head with Gbenga's former leading lady, Fayola. Tensions flare just as sparks start flying between Ayamma, the aspiring ingénue, and Wale, Nollywood's biggest heartthrob, in this hilarious new play about dreaming big.

The cast of Nollywood Dreams will include Abena (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), Charlie Hudson, III (A Raisin in the Sun), Nana Mensah (Man from Nebraska), sandra okuboyejo (Hamilton), Ade Otukoya (Gem of the Ocean), and Emana Rachelle (In The Name Of). Yao Dogbe (Homebound), Shiro Kihagi (Summertime), and Marsha Regis (Intimate Apparel) are understudies for the production.

Nollywood Dreams features scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by David Weiner and Jiyoun Chang, sound design by Palmer Hefferan, projection design by Alex Basco Koch, and hair & wig design by Nikiya Mathis. Dawn-Elin Fraser is the dialect coach and Alyssa K Howard is the production stage manager.

Nollywood Dreams is supported by The Laurents/Hatcher Foundation, The Bonnie Cashin Costume Design Fund, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the New York State Legislature, and The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council.

The performance schedule for Nollywood Dreams is as follows: Tuesdays at 7pm; Wednesdays 8pm; Thursdays at 7pm; Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm; and Sundays at 3pm. Exceptions: There will be an additional performance on Monday November 22 at 7pm. There will be no performances on Thursday November 25 and Friday November 26. There will also be an Open Caption performance on Friday November 19.

Priority subscriptions for MCC's 2021/22 season start at $212 (including all handling fees) and include all the productions plus unlimited free ticket exchanges, 20% off guest tickets, waived ticket fees, and first access to tickets. Memberships start at $67 (including all handling fees) and include all of the productions at a discounted rate of $45 per ticket, up to three free ticket exchanges per production, 10% off guest tickets, waived ticket fees, and access to tickets ahead of the general public. Subscriptions and memberships are available for purchase beginning today at mcctheater.org.

Audiences will need to be fully vaccinated to attend a performance at MCC Theater. Fully vaccinated means having had your second shot or single shot (based on vaccination type) of an FDA or WHO authorized COVID-19 vaccine two weeks (14 days) before your performance date. Proof of full vaccination must be provided along with a government issued photo ID with matching name. Proof of vaccination can be shown with one of the following: your vaccination card, a photo of your vaccination card, or via an official governmental mobile app or website; NYS residents or those who received a vaccination in NYS may present proof of vaccination via the Excelsior Pass app. For more information about the Excelsior Pass please visit https://epass.ny.gov. Masks are required to be worn.

To post a comment, you must register and login.