Obi Emelonye’s ‘Black Mail’ nominated for British Urban Film Festival

Announcing the nomination, Emelonye revealed on Instagram that the film will compete for the Best Feature Film category.

The festival will run from December 4-10, 2021 and awards will be given across the official selection including for best actor, best actress, best feature, best short and best documentary.

For the first time, £250 cash prizes will be awarded for the best documentary film, best feature film and best short film category.

The BUFF nomination joins the increasing list of international recognition that ‘Black Mail’ has garnered since its trailer release in August.

In September, it scooped the Best Trailer award at the 2021 Changing Face International festival.

Starring OC Ukeje in the lead role, ‘Black Mail’ follows Chinda (Ukeje), a renowned Lagos-based actor living in London, who must go to extreme lengths to stop a dark secret from ruining his life.

‘Black Mail’ was filmed in the United Kingdom in 2020 amid the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Emelonye, the crime thriller will explore themes of data protection and cyber security in an increasingly internet-reliant world.