ELEMENT
Opening Night June 20, 2024 | Paradise Theatre Toronto
Opening Night | Shorts Programme with Q&A | Drama
Struggling to make a living in the markets of Abidjan, a group of young delinquents try to find new ways to make a living, but at what cost?
Adrienne Kakoullis
akakoullis@risepr.ca
Andrea McLoughlin
andrea.m.mcloughlin@gmail.com
Directed by Will Niava & Latigone N'Goma
Will Niava:
Splitting his time between West Africa, the US , and Canada, Will Niava's work is as expansive as his background. Combining a striking and raw visual aesthetic with visceral storytelling, Niava's films are provocative and immersive cinematic experiences.
With his short film, Zoo, Niava explores the tenuousness of social order. His Dynamic camerawork and rhythmic editing mirror the emotional state of his characters. Thrilling, captivating, and unnerving, Zoo is an enthralling and timely commentary on power, alienation, and how we treat our fellow man.
Will has garnered numerous awards from over 80 international film festivals, as well as a spot on the prestigious Criterion Collection. In addition to his directing a series for MTV (Shuga Babi) , Will has co-writen a feature film with Oscar nominated director Jeremy Comte
Latigone N'Goma:
Latigone N'GOMA is a French-Congolese filmmaker. With a sensitivity to culture, particularly writing and music, at 16 years old, Latigone actively joins the French Slam community, which was still underground at the time. Curious and versatile, she becomes interested in photography and editing, soon forming a small collective with which she creates music videos. Her encounter with Hélène CASES, a charismatic producer, disrupts her path. She delves into the world of French cinema, initially in production. She explores the filmmaking process from writing to post-production in various roles. In 2016, she co-founded the association AFRO FICTION to bring together Afro-descendant filmmakers in France and simultaneously co-founded a production company in Ivory Coast, where she later settles.
As a production manager and executive producer on numerous fiction projects, feature films, and series across Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean, she doesn't neglect writing. She participates in multiple writing residencies and undergoes professional screenwriting training at CIFAP. She co-writes several projects with directors such as Jeff TAVER and Nasser BESSALAH, including some short films that find their audience at festivals and on television. She co-directs a short film titled ELEMENT with Will NIAVA. She collaborates with Alassane SY on the development of a feature film project.
