Nana Ama McBrown makes American Film Debut in Coming to Africa at San Francisco Black Film Festival
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SAN FRANCISCO - Californer -- Nana Ama McBrown has hundreds of films on her resume, but she just added a new career achievement: a starring role in her first American movie. Coming to Africa premiered this past weekend at the 22nd annual San Francisco Black Film Festival in San Francisco, California, USA. Utilizing a virtual format, the festival screened over 200 films between Thursday and Sunday. The movie is the fourth feature film by Anwar Jamison, a Memphis-based filmmaker. David Dontoh, Paulina Oduro and a host of other notable Ghanaian actors and actresses are featured in the film. PY Addo Boateng produced the film along with American filmmaker Anwar Jamison.

In the film, Khalil Kain, most known for his starring roles in Juice alongside Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps, and Girlfriends with Blackish star Tracee Ellis Ross, is a community activist trying to convince his brother to buy into a plan that will solve the problems plaguing their community. His brother, played by Jamison, is a successful financial executive who thinks climbing the corporate ladder is the road to true black empowerment. A rude awakening, in the form of a career crisis, unexpectedly leads him on an amusing adventure in Africa. McBrown plays the love interest that changes his perspective when he arrives in Ghana. "Nana Ama was so humble and a pleasure to work with," says Jamison. "She brought a lot to the set besides her performance on screen."

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The majority of the film was shot in Accra during The Year of Return celebration, and the remainder was filmed in Memphis, TN, USA. "I wanted to make a movie that no other American filmmaker has ever made, and we accomplished that," explains Jamison. "I wanted to show a city in Africa in a way that we haven't seen on the big screen in America. I think it's wonderful that African filmmakers from all over the continent are changing the narrative and getting the chance to tell their own stories. My hope is to add the African-American perspective to the story to show why it is important that we build that connection.  Me and PY are an example of what we can do when we come together, and we have much bigger plans going forward."

Coming to Africa was scheduled to premiere at Silverbird Cinemas, Accra Mall and West Hills, on July 17^th but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 virus.  The new premiere will be announced soon. The movie will also screen at the Las Vegas Black Film Festival, which takes place August 6-9. For more information on the movie, visit http://www.comingtoafricamovie.com.

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