Multi-award-winning writer, producer, and director Ella Chikezie has completed the first phase of principal photography for her upcoming short film Nwanne, following a shoot in the Karen suburb of Nairobi.
Production will now move to Nigeria in April 2026, marking the next phase of the cross-continental project, which brings together creatives from Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda.
Written, directed, produced, and executive produced by Chikezie under her banner FlyGrade Media, Nwanne, which means “sister” in Igbo language, is a character-driven drama about two estranged sisters whose unexpected reunion forces a confrontation with betrayal, grief, and survival.
The film follows Ifeoma, a writer on residency dealing with creative block, who encounters her long-lost sister Nkeoma at the same resort. Their reunion unravels tensions tied to Nkeoma’s past disappearance after she took money meant for their mother’s medical care to pursue a football opportunity abroad that turned out to be a scam. The story explores the emotional and personal consequences of the choices both sisters made.
The Kenyan shoot features Nigerian-Canadian actor Celestina Aleobua as Ifeoma and Nigerian actor Love Nebo-Chapot as Nkeoma. Aleobua also serves as associate producer alongside Nigerian production outfit It Takes a Village Production.
Behind the camera, Ugandan filmmaker Kizito Samuel Saviour handled cinematography, while Kenyan gaffer Nard Maingi led lighting design, contributing to a soft, naturalistic visual style that reflects the film’s emotional tone.
Chikezie described Nwanne as “a deeply personal story about sisterhood, sacrifice, and the quiet ways love survives distance and misunderstanding,” noting that assembling a pan-African crew was a deliberate choice.
“The story speaks to shared emotional experiences across our continent, and it felt important that the filmmaking process reflected that unity,” she said.
The Nigerian leg of production will complete the film’s narrative arc, with the Kenyan footage covering the present-day reunion. Following post-production, Nwanne is slated for an international festival run.