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Leila Afua Djansi is an American-Ghanaian filmmaker who started her film career in the Ghana film industry.


Early life

Leila Afua Djansi was born on 17 July.Nelmes, Jill; Selbo, Jule
''Women Screenwriters: An International Guide''
Springer (2015), p. 20, . Retrieved 12 January 2019.
Her father was a pilot and her mother a senior nursing officer. Djansi grew up in India and Ghana. Although acting and writing were her hobbies, her career ambition was to become a
gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...
, a plan that later changed when she developed an interest in
forensics Forensic science combines principles of law and science to investigate criminal activity. Through crime scene investigations and laboratory analysis, forensic scientists are able to link suspects to evidence. An example is determining the time and ...
. While studying
criminology Criminology (from Latin , 'accusation', and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'', 'word, reason') is the interdisciplinary study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is a multidisciplinary field in both the behaviou ...
, another career change occurred when she met the Ghanaian actor Sam Odoi, who convinced her to write a script for him. She was 19 years old when her script '' Babina'' was made into a movie by producer Akwetey Kanyi."10 Must See African Movies of the 21st Century"
''CNN'', 02 August 2022


Education

Djansi attended the Kabore Primary and JSS,
Mawuli School Mawuli School is a co-educational, boarding school, boarding senior high school located in Ho, Ghana, Ho in the Ho Municipal, Ho Municipal district in the Volta Region of Ghana. History The school was founded in 1950 by the Evangelical Presbyteria ...
for primary, junior and secondary education respectively all located in Ho, in the
Volta Region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi- ...
of Ghana. She began her film education at the
National Film and Television School The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is a film, television and games school established in 1971 and based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. It is featured in the 2024 ranking by ''The Hollywood Repo ...
, but left Ghana for the United States to continue her Film and Television Degree at
Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United ...
on an artistic honors scholarship.


Career

President of the Ghana Library Board Readers Club for three years, Djansi began her career in the entertainment industry in 1998 when she was a runner-up in a regional beauty pageant in junior high school. Djansi began her filmmaking career in Ghana at the age of 19 with the Ghana Film Company. Djansi worked with the state-owned Gama Film Company, where she wrote and produced ''Legacy of Love''. Her directorial debut ''I Sing'' ''of a Well'' in 2009 netted an unprecedented 11 nominations at the
Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards is an annual entertainment award ceremony presented to recognize excellence among African and non-African professionals, who have contributed to the African film industry. The award was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osig ...
, winning the Special Jury Award for Overall Best Film. In addition, the film was presented with the BAFTA/LA Choice Award at the
Pan African Film Festival Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, United States, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts a film ...
for excellence in filmmaking. Djansi followed with the advocacy film ''Sinking'' ''Sands'' which supports the Say No to Violence Against Women Campaign for UNiFEM Ghana. In 2011, Djansi's ''Ties'' ''That'' ''Bind'' won Best Diaspora Film at the San Diego Black Film Festival, it also became an official selection to AFI's New African Films Festival in 2012. The film's star,
Kimberly Elise Kimberly Elise Trammel (born April 17, 1967) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in '' Set It Off'' (1996), and later received critical acclaim for her performance in '' Beloved'' (1998). During her career, Elise has appeared ...
, was nominated for Best Actress at the American Black Film Festival. The film was also nominated for Outstanding Foreign Film at the 2012
Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards, or BRAs, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African Americans in film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the Af ...
. Djansi's ''
Like Cotton Twines ''Like Cotton Twines'' is a 2016 film written and directed by Ghanaian-American filmmaker Leila Djansi. The film was an official selection to the 2016 LA Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival under the World Fiction section. It went on to win t ...
'' was an official selection to the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival under the World Fiction Section. The film shot entirely on location in Ghana explores issues of modern-day slavery when an African American volunteer travels to a rural community in Ghana to teach and discovers one of his students, a 14-year-old girl, has to become a religious slave. Her other credits include '' Where Children Play'' with Grammy winner
Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known professionally as Macy Gray, is an American contemporary R&B, R&B and soul music, soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influence ...
, the LA Film Festival Best Episodic Television Show 40 and Single for AMC's Urban Movie Channel, and '' All The Men in my Life'' starring
Rochelle Aytes Rochelle Aytes (born May 17, 1976) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as April Malloy on American Broadcasting Company, ABC drama series ''Mistresses (U.S. TV series), Mistresses'' (2013–16) and as the voice of Lef ...
. Djansi has been recognized by various international organizations for continuously using filmmaking to bring light to women's issues, and she has consistently made movies for women and about women while employing diversity behind and in front of the camera. She is also lauded for revolutionizing Ghana’s film industry with ''I Sing of Well,'' whichmarked the onset of a unique narrative style never before seen in West African storytelling. Her work also inspired Ghanaian filmmakers to return, contributing to the telling of African stories. Djansi continues to receive acclaim for using film to narrate stories of black women.


Awards and recognition

Djansi's first film was awarded a 2009 worldFest Platinum Award; the film, ''Grass Between My Lips'', is a story of female circumcision and early marriage, set in a northern Ghana village.
In 2010, her debut feature, ''I Sing of a Well'' was nominated for 11
Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards is an annual entertainment award ceremony presented to recognize excellence among African and non-African professionals, who have contributed to the African film industry. The award was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osig ...
. The film won 3 awards: Best Sound, Best Costume, and the Jury Special Award for Overall Best Film. In 2011, Djansi was presented with the BAFTA/LA Pan African Film Festival Choice Award for the film ''I Sing of a Well''. Djansi's 2011 film ''Sinking Sands'' received 10
Africa Movie Academy Award The Africa Movie Academy Awards is an annual entertainment award ceremony presented to recognize excellence among African and non-African professionals, who have contributed to the African film industry. The award was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osi ...
nominations, with Ama K Abebrese winning the Best Actress Award and Djansi earning the Best Original Screenplay Award. Djansi's third directorial effort '' Ties That Bind'' received a
Black Reel Award The Black Reel Awards, or BRAs, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African Americans in film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the Afr ...
s Nomination in 2012. The film also won the Best Diaspora Film at the 2012 San Diego Black Film Festival. In 2016, Djansi directed ''Like Cotton Twines'', an exploration of the practice of Trokosi in her native Ghana. The film was nominated for "Best World Fiction Film" at the
Los Angeles Film Festival The LA Film Festival was an annual film festival that was held in Los Angeles, California, and usually took place in June. It showcased independent, international, feature, documentary and short films, as well as web series, music videos, episodi ...
. ‘’Like Cotton Twines’’ also secured the Best Narrative Feature award at the 2016
Savannah Film Festival Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United S ...
, clinching the same honor at the Riverbend Film Festival in 2017. Her other credits include
Film Independent The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...
Best Episodic for 2018 40 and Single which was created for AMCs'
Allblk ALLBLK (typeset as ALLBLK in press materials but stylized allblk in its logotype; pronounced as "all-black"; ALLWAYSBLK in Canada and the Caribbean), formerly Urban Movie Channel (UMC) is an over-the-top SVOD service operated by the AMC Network ...


References


External links

*
Turning Point Pictures
*Keisha Hatchett
"Interview: ''Like Cotton Twines'' Filmmaker Leila Djansi on Slavery, Black Unity and Diversity in Hollywood"
''
The Mary Sue Daniel Abrams (born May 20, 1966) is an American media entrepreneur, television host, and author. He is currently the host of '' On Patrol: Live'' on Reelz, and ''The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets The Law'' on SiriusXM's P.O.T.U.S. cha ...
'', 20 January 2017. *Borys Kit
''And Then There Was You''. Garcelle Beauvais to star in Leila Djansi's And Then There was You"
''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', 18 April 2013. *Stephen Saito
"LA Film Fest '16 Interview: Leila Djansi on Untangling 'Like Cotton Twines
''The Moveable Fest'', 15 June 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Djansi, Leila Living people Film directors from Georgia (U.S. state) American women film directors American women screenwriters Mawuli School alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 1981 births Ghanaian filmmakers Ghanaian film directors Ghanaian film producers American people of Ghanaian descent Alumni of the National Film and Television School