Private Project

Sham Love - Online Dating Ruse

A REVELATION FOR DATING APP USERS WORLDWIDE.

Lonely London school teacher Diana, is lured into online dating by her ex Mike, and her sister’s fiancée Kemba. Mike wants back the £150k divorce settlement. Kemba has desperate money demands from family. Cash cow Diana won't listen! Who can save her?

  • Chuba Obi
    Director
    Escape - Stop That Wedding
  • Chuba Obi
    Writer
    Escape - Stop That Wedding
  • Chuba Obi
    Producer
    Escape - Stop That Wedding
  • Kristen Thompson-King
    Key Cast
    "Diana"
    Netflix Series 'Haunted'
  • John Ojeyemi
    Key Cast
    "Kemba"
    'Hello David' 2022'; 'How We Met' 2018;
  • Sophia Sinclair
    Key Cast
    "Tamil"
    Short Straw (2019); Love Freely But Pay for Sex (2013); To 66 (2012); Purple Sale (2011)
  • Marc Gordon
    Key Cast
    "Michael"
    Cookster: The Darkest Days (2024);
  • Andy Mcleod
    Key Cast
    "Solicitor Martin"
  • Greg Hughes
    Key Cast
    "Bob"
    The Light: Urban chronicles (2021); The Door Bell (2019); The chain (2018); King Leah (2018); Cleft Lip (2018)
  • Fran Walker
    Key Cast
    "Dorothy/Rose"
    Black Mail (2022); Only Love Matters (2023)
  • Ava Rapson-Woods
    Key Cast
    "Mia"
  • Suzanne Kendall
    Key Cast
    "Lilly"
    The Loss Adjuster (2020); The Right Bus (2021); Heckle (2013).
  • Eric Mustafa
    Key Cast
    "Diana's date"
  • Corrine Salome
    Key Cast
    "Tilly"
  • Chris Okusaga
    Key Cast
    "Soldier"
  • Cassanrda Ola Harrington
    Key Cast
    "Kemba's mother"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Romance, crime, Drama, Thriller
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 36 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 24, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • London Premium Cinema show
    London
    United Kingdom
    February 4, 2023
    Premium Public Cinema Theatre show in 4 screens (Dugdale theatre Enfield, London, & The Bull Theatre, Barnet, London)
Distribution Information
  • Zikora Distributions
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Chuba Obi

Chuba’s first feature film (Escape – Stop That Wedding, 2019) which he wrote and directed, won the Detaron TV (Roku Channel) ‘Best Independent Film’ award for 2020. Hot on the heels of that success, he has written and directed this feature titled “Sham Love – Online Dating Ruse”. In a freshly assembled team of talented writers, Chuba is working on a number of feature screenplays under the umbrella title ‘Sham Love Stories’, scheduled for production in 2024/25. More of his works can be seen at www.ShamLoveStories.com

Chuba is a graduate of Staffordshire University film School in England, with a Masters degree in Film Production. He is also a published graphic novelist.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

‘Sham Love – Online Dating Ruse’ is the second in a growing collection of feature films of the Thriller Crime Romance genre, under the umbrella title ‘Sham Love Stories’. The vision is a collection of features made for the genre lovers specifically, and generally for audiences who love deep human stories.
This film reveals the inner deep trust and faith a woman lives with when she is in total belief of her husband to be, notwithstanding the clearly uncertain elements of his persona. She trusts because he draws her to and her heart is so inclined.
However, I was careful to also adequately tell the other side of the story. He is not without pressures and even strong belief in the inevitability of his actions. In deed he believes he will make things right and that the purpose for which he acts as he does makes the wrongness of his methods immaterial.
In striking the balance between the motives behind each person’s actions, I questioned myself continuously. It was a real challenge to maintain the balance so that the audience can make up their own minds on which side to bring down the hammer of judgement, and how heavily.

The film has so far won 5 selections to UK and USA film festivals in 2024.

Hope you enjoy the story!