Private Project

OTANA

OTANA is a short film centered around Peace, a young lady facing trauma.
In a moment of luck, Peace meets a demons escaping hell and they bond over a common ground of pain and vengeance.

OTANA interprets sexual violence through the lens of the horror genre. There is a truth in the human condition which we will go lengths to either preserve or destroy.

  • Wingonia Ikpi
    Director
  • Wingonia Ikpi
    Writer
    Eno's Demons
  • Wingonia Ikpi
    Producer
  • Evelyn John
    Key Cast
    "Peace"
  • Uche Chika Elumelu
    Key Cast
    "Otana"
    Mirrors Within
  • Tolu Odebunmi
    Key Cast
    "Uncle AB"
    Half of a yellow sun
  • Don Dizzy
    Director of Photography
  • Juliet Chioma Ezeigwe
    Co-Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 30, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Nigeria
  • Country of Filming:
    Nigeria
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Canon 6D, Sony A7 S1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Wingonia Ikpi

Wingonia Ikpi is a Nigerian film director, scriptwriter, producer.
She is the founder of Boxonia Blueprint, a film company that specializes in scripts and video production for projects that range from cinema to advertisements, animation, telenovelas, video games etc.

Wingonia’s films are characterized by dark elements, complex characters, witty dialogue, aestheticization of violence and peculiar soundtracks to fit the mood of the project. 

In 2017, she wrote ‘Eno’s Demons’, a short advocacy film which won The Best African Film Award at the Amazing Shorts Film Festival in Madrid, Spain.

Wingonia Ikpi also has firsthand experience contributing to popular television shows like Tinsel and Halita. In 2019, she took the role of a facilitator for a scriptwriting class at the  Nigerian government's N-Power program. 
Her recently concluded directorial debut, OTANA, is a horror film which she screenwrote, directed and produced.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I believe filmmaking combines different forms of art. A good film, like a well-oiled machine must deliver in all aspects like scriptwriting, casting, acting, sound design and more. This was a major factor I was particular about for this film.

OTANA is special because it is a unique and intriguing story. As you would get to see, we created a full character out of prosthetics even though our budget was quite limited. We also had a very dedicated crew and cast who were willing to go the extra mile, example is the actor that played OTANA (Uche Chika), who stayed two days in full body prosthetics and costume, and only drank smoothies through a straw. PEACE (Evelyn John) who drew strength from painful memories to give a great performance.

This film will always be dear to me, as a first time director who has had cold feet while trying to create other pieces of work. I have perpetually faced financial restraints and an awful feeling of unpreparedness. Seeing this project come to life gives me a sense of fulfilment.

Part of my signature as a writer and director is the aestheticization of violence and detailed character development, therefore, this has further propelled me into leaning towards creating a feature length further exploring this landscape.

My hope with this is to contribute to the fight against sexual violence all around the world and also build a conversation around stories like this.