The premiere of Chigozie Atuanya’s Igbo language production, Chetanna, took place on July 25, 2014, at the inaugural World Igbo Festival of Arts and Culture, which was held at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia. The film was screened to a packed audience, which included many dignitaries of Igbo extraction from Nigeria and the diaspora.
The premiere was a resounding success, and the movie held the audience spellbound for its duration. The audience enjoyed the movie so much that they burst into a spontaneous round of applause, which lasted for several minutes, after the movie ended.
Following the successful premiere of the movie in Virginia, Chigozie Atuanya, will be taking the movie on a tour of several US cities starting in September. It has already been confirmed that the movie will premiere in Houston on October 11,2014 at the Igbo Catholic Community Center, 8250 Creekbend Drive. Following the US tour, the movie will be premiered in the following Nigerian cities – Lagos, Awka, Aba, Enugu, and Umuahia.
Chetanna was directed by Ikechukwu Onyeka, and it stars Chigozie Atuanya, Queen Nwokoye, Ebube Nwagbo, Ebele Okaro-Onyiuke, and Chinwe Owoh. It is the gripping tale of an American returnee whose unbridled past in America has come to haunt his present in Africa. A marriage gone sour; greed gives way to unprovoked vendetta and deep-rooted deceit until nemesis comes knocking while true love is caught in the web of mindless scheming.
Eze Obidiegwu Obidiegwe Onyeso and Chigozie Atuanya
Prof. Paul Okechukwu Oranika and Chigozie Atuanya
Chigozie Atuanya, Mr. Ezeani Igirigi, Eze Obidiegwu Obidiegwe Onyeso, Chief Okorie, Mbah, Eze Uzu Awka
Chigozie Atuanya and Eze Obidiegwu Obidiegwe
Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze
Chief Hyacinth Nwachukwu
Attorney Emeka Akudinobi
Chigozie Atuanya and Attorney Emeka Akudinobi
Ichie Larry Udoji
Gary Nnachi Enwo-Igariwey
Chigozie Atuanya and Chief Okorie, Mbah
Chigozie Atuanya and Dr. Kenneth Akwuole
Chudi Asidianya (right) and a South African guest
Nwaamaka Arinze and a guest
Chigozie Atuanya and some guests
Chigozie Atuanya and some guests
Chigozie Atuanya and some guests
Chigozie Atuanya and some guests
Some guests at the screening
A cross-section of guests at the screening
A cross-section of guests at the screening