‘The Man Died’ Premieres in Southern Africa

Vanessa Obioha

For the first time since its release last year, ‘The Man Died,’ a moving story inspired by the prison notes of the Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, will be on screen at the 7th Jo’Burg International Film Festival.
The screening marks the first time the film will be shown in Southern Africa.

Scheduled to run from March 11 to 16, ‘The Man Died’ will have two screenings at the festival, the first happening today, March 12 at the Theatre on the Square, Sandton City, 8pm. The second will take place on Saturday, March 15, at the Nu Metro Cinema in Hyde Park, at 1pm.

The film will also be screened at the African Film Festival, Atlanta, USA. Organised by the African Film and Arts Foundation Inc. (AFAF), the AFFATL, among other objectives, aims to “magnify and celebrate the visions, voices, lives and stories of people from Africa and the African Diaspora through the lens of film & the arts.”

The current screenings across the seas are coming on the heels of its outing at the renowned Pan African Film Festival, PAFF, February 4-17 in Los Angeles, and at Nollywood in Hollywood film exhibition.

Directed by Awam Amkpa and produced by Femi Odugbemi under Zuri 24 Media, ‘The Man Died’ boasts a stellar cast featuring Wale Ojo, Sam Dede, Norbert Young, Ropo Ewenla, and Kelechi Udegbe. The film has earned prestigious accolades, including ‘Best African Film That Tackles an Important African Issue’ at the 14th Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt. It also won ‘Best Screenplay’ at both the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Lagos and the 35th Carthage International Film Festival in Tunis. Additionally, it claimed the ‘Best Audience Choice Award’ at the Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival (ENIFF) in Enugu.

Future screenings of the film include African and African Diaspora Film Festival, Costa Rica; 32nd NewYork African Film (NYAFF32), New York; African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF), Chicago, USA; African Theatre Association Conference 2025, Stuttgart, Germany; and African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF), Washington, DC.