Tazmanian Devil Added to American Black Film Festival

The 2020 American Black Film Festival just keeps getting better! With over 80 films, it’s sure to be one of the most talked-about events of the year. One of its newest additions is already creating quite a bit of buzz. Tazmanian Devil, starring Abraham Attah as Dayo, is a groundbreaking coming of age story about a Nigerian immigrant pledging to an American college fraternity. However, his super religious estranged father doesn’t approve.

Also, starring is Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (The Chi, Queen of Katwe, Treme), Adepero Oduye (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Central Park Five, 12 Years a Slave), and Kwesi Boakye( Claws, Flight and The Amazing World of Gumball).

“Like me, most of the cast members in the film are first-generation Americans or immigrants from Africa,” explains writer/director Solomon Onita, Jr. “We worked hard to find cast members that embodies the immigrant spirit. I feel we have an A-level cast, and I am excited to have worked on my first feature with them.”

How Did One Come Up With This Idea?

In 2018 during an interview with BET‘s Onita Jr, who’s a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity said, “Many Nigerian immigrants who move to America, they view fraternities as a very destructive, dangerous organization to join..They are pretty much like gangs that you see here in America. [Dayo] sees a very different fraternity than what he knew from home.”

Check out the trailer below

Black fraternities are usually seen in a negative light, but this film is dedicated to showing everything isn’t always as it seems. “This film was different from other films that deal with fraternity culture. This film makes a positive case for fraternities rather than just repeating old tired stereotypes,” says Onita.”

Tazmanian Devil has some big names producing it such as Benny Boom and Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan “Birdman” Williams. The 2020 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) will be held online on August 21-30. Registration for free community passes opens on August 21.