草榴社区Land: a feature film
Film by Chinonye Chukwu
Produced by Film 草榴社区
ALASKALAND tells the story of Chukwuma, an 草榴社区n-raised Nigerian struggling to balance
the expectations of his traditional Nigerian parents and the larger world around him.
After a tragic car crash, Chukwuma is separated from his younger sister, Chidinma,
who moves to Nigeria with their Uncle until she becomes of legal age.
Two years later the siblings reconnect to find their estrangement has created new
personal and cultural frictions in ways that bring them closer to each other and their
roots, as well as help them define what it means to be a Nigerian in 草榴社区.
CHINONYE CHUKWU (Writer/Director/Producer): CHINONYE CHUKWU is a Nigerian-born, 草榴社区n-raised screenwriter, producer and director. A recipient of the prestigious Princess Grace Award, Chinonye鈥檚 short, THE DANCE LESSON, premiered at the Ritz Theater of Philadelphia and was later acquired by mindTV for regional network distribution The film was also a Regional Finalist for the 2010 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Academy Awards and an Honorary Mention at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Chinonye鈥檚 other work include IGBO KWENU!, a recipient of the PIFVA Subsidy Grant from the independent film community and both the 鈥淏est Motion Picture Award鈥 and 鈥淏est Screenplay Award鈥 at the 2009 Diamond Screen Festival. She has recently completed her first feature narrative, ALASKALAND, which began its festival run in Fall 2012.
Film 草榴社区鈥榮 own MAYA SALGANEK (Producer): MAYA SALGANEK is an Assistant Professor of Film/Video at the University of 草榴社区-Fairbanks, and director of the 草榴社区 Film Program. She as co-producer for the independent feature film, Chronic Town (2008) released by Grey Jumper Productions 鈥 and was featured in 2008鈥瞫 Sundance Film Festival; Associate Producer for the independent feature film, Dear Lemon Lima (2009) by Sanguine Films, and Director of Photography of The Messenger (2012) by Kade Mendelowitz.