Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary Join C.J. Obasi Film From Flix Oven’s African-Korean Residency​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Flix Oven has launched an African-Korean filmmaker residency program, naming “Mami Wata” director C.J. Obasi as its inaugural fellow, the company revealed at the Cannes Film Market.

The Seoul-based company has partnered with Continental Entertainment, an African-focused representation and production outfit founded by Ozi Menakaya, to bring African filmmakers to Korea for extended script development residencies.

Ego Productions, the French premium label within the Mediawan Group, and Flix Oven signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop and produce diverse films and series, with the agreement formalized during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Korea marking 140 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.  Commenting on that deal, Kim Minjung, Flix Oven’s head of development, said: “This collaboration goes beyond IP remakes. We want to co-develop original stories together, co-produce and build a new collaborative ecosystem.”

Obasi is set for a month-long Seoul stay to work on a new feature described as a story bridging African and Korean cultures, with a theatrical release planned. Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary will serve as executive producers through their Revelations Entertainment banner.

The attachment of Freeman and McCreary lends the project considerable weight. Revelations Entertainment is an independent film production company founded by Freeman and McCreary in 1996, with their collaboration dating back to the stage play Bopha! in 1992.

The new Obasi project falls squarely within that remit, as it would draw from two rich and distinct cultural traditions. It also follows a pattern of Revelations gravitating toward stories rooted in Black and African history. In recent years, the company partnered with Lesley-Ann Brandt on “Hanover Street,” a drama series set in Cape Town’s District Six, exploring the community’s story against the backdrop of apartheid South Africa. 

For Flix Oven, the African-Korean residency represents the latest move in an aggressive international expansion strategy. The company describes itself as a multicultural production company based in Seoul, specializing in both scripted and unscripted content.  It provides a range of services including access to local talent, crew, permits, tax incentives, and funding.  Co-CEOs Thomas Maitland, a South African producer, and Korean producer Lee Hyojin have been building the company into a cross-border co-production hub over the past several years.

For Obasi, the residency marks a new chapter following the international success of “Mami Wata,” his black-and-white feature that explored West African mythology and the collision between tradition and modernity in a riverine community. Shot in the Republic of Benin, the film earned acclaim for its distinctive aesthetic and its nuanced engagement with post-colonial themes. The Obasis have consistently worked at the intersection of African identity and global cinematic form, and the new Seoul-incubated project promises to extend that inquiry into a new cultural conversation.

Obasi is represented by Justin Littman at Sycamore Media and at Continental Entertainment.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​