Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, producer of Blue Story and Boxing Day, has wrapped production on her directorial debut Dreamers, with The Yellow Affair by Newen Connect launching sales at Cannes.

Screen can also exclusively reveal a first-look image of Dreamers, a love story and escape movie set in an immigration removal centre. It focuses on a woman named Isio, played by Screen Star of Tomorrow 2023 Ronke Adékoluejo, who is caught working without papers, trapped inside Hatchworth removal centre, where she learns that finding love, friendship and freedom sometimes means doing the wrong things.

Further cast includes I May Destroy You’s Ann Akinjirin, Diana Yekinni and Aiysha Hart.

The Yellow Affair by Newen Connect label was created in January 2024, with Finnish outfit The Yellow Affair handling international sales on the independent films produced by France’s Newen Connect, the distribution division of TF1 Group’s Newen Studios. Gharoro-Akpojotor runs Joi Productions, part of London-based Ringside Studios since 2022, a subsidiary of Newen Studios.

The film was shot in the UK and is produced by Emily Morgan’s UK outfit Quiddity Films, that developed the project with BBC Film and the BFI, through National Lottery funding. Quiddity’s credits include Cannes premieres I Am Not A Witch and The Settlers, plus Supernova. 

Further backers include Newen Connect, Finite Films and OnSight. The executive producers include Claudia Yusef for BBC Film, Amy Gardner, Edirinverere Gharoro and Gharoro-Akpojotor. The feature is in post and expected to be ready twowards the end of 2024. 

“I wanted to make a film that conveyed my experience as an immigrant, that centres love, joy and more importantly hope. It’s a film that aims to remind people of humanity,” said Nigeria-born Gharoro-Akpojotor, a Screen Star of Tomorrow 2020.

The Yellow Affair by Newen Connect is also handling Constanze Klaue’s Punching The World, produced by Flare Films, and Kontra (working Title), produced by Nimbus Film.  

Source: Mona Tabbara - Screendaily