Film Projects
Special Screening (Alaska Premiere!) of alaskaLand
Friday, December 7 @ 7pm in the Salisbury Theatre.
$15 tickets; suggested additional donation for the Knutson Memorial Fund
ALASKALAND is not rated and runs 75 minutes long.
ALASKALAND tells the story of Chukwuma, an Alaskan-raised Nigerian
struggling to balance the expectations of his traditional Nigerian parents and the larger
world around him. After a tragic car crash, Chukwuma is separated from his younger
sister, Chidinma, who moves to Nigeria with their Uncle until she becomes of legal age.
Two years later the siblings reconnect to find their estrangement has created new
personal and cultural frictions in ways that bring them closer to each other and their
roots, as well as help them define what it means to be a Nigerian in Alaska.
struggling to balance the expectations of his traditional Nigerian parents and the larger
world around him. After a tragic car crash, Chukwuma is separated from his younger
sister, Chidinma, who moves to Nigeria with their Uncle until she becomes of legal age.
Two years later the siblings reconnect to find their estrangement has created new
personal and cultural frictions in ways that bring them closer to each other and their
roots, as well as help them define what it means to be a Nigerian in Alaska.
CHINONYE CHUKWU (Writer/Director/Producer): CHINONYE CHUKWU is a
Nigerian-born, Alaskan-raised screenwriter, producer and director. A recipient of the
prestigious Princess Grace Award, Chinonye’s short, THE DANCE LESSON, premiered
at the Ritz Theater of Philadelphia and was later acquired by mindTV for regional
network distribution The film was also a Regional Finalist for the 2010 Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Academy Awards and an Honorary Mention
at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Chinonye’s other work include IGBO
KWENU!, a recipient of the PIFVA Subsidy Grant from the independent film community
and both the “Best Motion Picture Award” and “Best Screenplay Award” at the 2009
Diamond Screen Festival. She has recently completed her first feature narrative,
ALASKALAND, which began its festival run in Fall 2012.
Nigerian-born, Alaskan-raised screenwriter, producer and director. A recipient of the
prestigious Princess Grace Award, Chinonye’s short, THE DANCE LESSON, premiered
at the Ritz Theater of Philadelphia and was later acquired by mindTV for regional
network distribution The film was also a Regional Finalist for the 2010 Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Academy Awards and an Honorary Mention
at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Chinonye’s other work include IGBO
KWENU!, a recipient of the PIFVA Subsidy Grant from the independent film community
and both the “Best Motion Picture Award” and “Best Screenplay Award” at the 2009
Diamond Screen Festival. She has recently completed her first feature narrative,
ALASKALAND, which began its festival run in Fall 2012.
Film UAF‘s own MAYA SALGANEK (Producer): MAYA SALGANEK is an Assistant Professor of Film/Video at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and director of the UAF Film Program. She was co-producer for the independent feature film, Chronic Town (2008) released by Grey Jumper
Productions – and was featured in 2008′s Sundance Film Festival; Associate
Producer for the independent feature film, Dear Lemon Lima (2009) by Sanguine Films, and Director of Photography of The Messenger (2012) by Kade Mendelowitz.
Productions – and was featured in 2008′s Sundance Film Festival; Associate
Producer for the independent feature film, Dear Lemon Lima (2009) by Sanguine Films, and Director of Photography of The Messenger (2012) by Kade Mendelowitz.