The New York African

In 2020, few artists have been more anticipated than this underground gem. Ken Ngwa is a Brooklyn based Director. Who is quickly emerging as one of New York’s best kept secrets. Instagram is full of photographers, but it’s also home to some of the world’s most talented creators of moving images.

We’re not talking about the actors you already follow, or the big-time studios promoting their work. We’re talking about the industry players behind the cameras and screenplays, the organizations dedicated to spreading fine filmmaking, and the civilian cinephiles who simply want to share their love of the craft.

@kenngwa Director, Producer, Screenwriter, and Businessman, Ken Ngwa is a new emerging voice of creativity. His credits include motion pictures Nature Boy, Scam Republique, and New Bosses, a Wu Tang affiliated music video featuring Method Man. Follow his Instagram for snaps on set and for creative cultural visuals, featuring a seemingly endless supply of creative content.

Africanized America By Shanee Edwards ( Originally posted in The Script Lab)

I was invited to an art exhibition in Soho, New York . A neon sign at the entrance of the hall made a focal point, while what looked like a wall of books was actually a door leading to the main event space. Walking into the room, the ambiance was warm. The air tasted of marijuana and Armani cologne. I got to the event just as a well endowed woman deconned patrons past a green leather-upholstered stool. There, holding court is where I met Director Ken Ngwa. Fresh from recently shooting a video for New York’s School of Performing Arts. At first glance he was welcoming. We shared a glass of red wine as we discussed his upcoming film, Nature Boy. “Nature Boy is me”, he said. “This is the story of New America, immigrant America, the other black.” Nature Boy is a film about growing up African within African American Society. “I am from the South Side of Chicago but when people hear that they immediately think ghetto or warfare, that’s not my reality. I grew up in an immigrant community of Africans. A community which focused more inward then out. I can’t tell you, four players on the Chicago Bulls, but I can tell you the latest news in Cameroon.” Ken Ngwa is a director who up until now has earned moderate success with his absurd and almost surrealistic efforts in indie filmmaking. His film “Scam Republique”, was a sheer feat of indie film grit, filmed on location in Central Africa it was one of the first films admittingly I have seen which take place in Cameroon. A country so far off the grid, I googled and mostly what I saw had to do with football. Beaming on the cusp of success, Ngwa seems poised to explode onto the contemporary stage of cinema . Nature Boy was filmed in the guerilla film style. “We shot for 28 days, on the westside and the southside of Chicago. It was a bit scary, I was almost shot. Chicago is no joke but the story needed to be told.” Mostly known as a guerilla music film director he burst onto the scene of New York notoriety with a 2020 music video titled “New Bosses Remix” a Wu Tang affiliated song which featured the actor and movie star, Method Man. When asked about his experiences with that project, Ken Ngwa had the following to say, “ Filming New Bosses was liberating, I got to thank everyone involved in the Wu Tang camp, especially Intel . They gave me a platform and an opportunity to come in and create, you can’t hate on that, it’s only love.” I left our encounter unsure of what the future holds in store for this director but one thing is for sure, It will be entertaining. Ken Ngwa can be reached through his Instagram @kenngwa or his production company Sun People Productions.

“Growing Up, in the suburbs, you were made to feel not Black Enough.” “

I heard stories of gangs when I was a child, from kids at school but I never experienced gang life. I attended Dirksen Middle School. I think back to those years as my last time being in a fully African American environment.” Ken Ngwa is the filmmaker behind “Nature Boy”, the new film which follows a suburban black teen as he joyrides with inner city black kids during the 4th of July weekend. “The 4th of july has always been a time of celebration and also gun violence in Chicago. I set my film in this period because you would hear stories like ``don't drive to the city, people could be shooting in the air.” A visceral gut punch of a film Nature Boy is a ready made cult film , a throwback to Larry Clark’s, “Kids” but unlike the latter, this film has hope and Afrofuturistic mysticism. “ I wanted to draw on my upbringing and tell my story through the lens. This film is my life as a teenager in the endless summers of being 16 and 17 in Chicago.” The scenes from Nature Boy are strong and unforgettable, the characters travel from the suburbs all the way to the gritty neighborhoods of the West Side of Chicago.

Ken Ngwa’ talent for filmmaking was first given to the world in 2018 with his critically-acclaimed movie Scam Republique. The film wowed audiences at the New York Hip Hop Film Festival. In a year when the Black experience in America has had light shed upon it , the film Nature Boy hits home.

@kenngwa @sunpeopleproductions

An African filmmaker you should know about. by DAMOLA DUROSOMO POSTED ON December 19, 2020 (Article Originally Appear in The Root Magazine website)

Since gaining independence from oppressive colonial rule, Africa nations have been producing diverse and pioneering independent films, best exemplified by the likes of Sembène, Med Hondo, Sarah Maldoror and Souleymane Cissé.

Now a new generation of African filmmakers are drawing on that rich cultural heritage while striking out on their own, telling contemporary stories through new techniques and aesthetics. Ken Ngwa is an up-and-coming director from Cameroon though raised in Chicago; his work is steeped in the culture and voice of his homeland with two Staff Picks, his feature film, “Scam Republique” and music video, “New Bosses” under his belt.

Director Ken Ngwa continues to surprise us with his innovative use of video and social media as a medium. Case in point, his instagram @kenngwa

regularly boasts 100,000 viewers to his Africa and South American infused art . “ I am a global citizen. I consider myself a lover of everything African and South American.” His upcoming film Nature Boy, is fresh. The film is currently buzzing through the art community in Hollywood. This film is necessary especially right now in light of current discussions about defunding the police. Nature Boy is a look at conflict in Chicago’s hardest-hit neighborhoods, from a suburban black boys perspective. If it makes you uncomfortable, take a breath; you’re right where the film wants you to be.

@kenngwa @sunpeopleproductions

Emerging Filmmakers: Ken Ngwa December 3, 2020 (Article Originally Appears in www.ohthatfilmblog.com )

If Spike Lee is the filmmaker whose love for Black folk permeates the screen, Ken Ngwa in his first films has become the undisputed champion of what being African in America looks like. He is a world-renowned filmmaker who, for the past 10 years of his career has specialized in creating incredible cinematic images no matter what the camera. What makes the director truly special is his understanding and empathy when dealing with race and cultural subjects. In a year when the Black experience in America has light shed upon it , the film Nature Boy hits home, this is America. @kenngwa @sunpeopleproductions

He is the creator, director, and executive producer of “Nature Boy,”. A film about growing up as an African immigrant on the southside of Chicago. As a Director he has slowly built an impressive body of work via social media.

“ My mission is to champion creativity in my own community. Growing up I never had the outlet, I came to the States from Cameroon when I was 7, and then I grew up in a community and household which looked more to the old country than the new one.” A visceral gut punch of a film Nature Boy is a ready made cult film , a throwback to Larry Clark’s, “Kids” but unlike the latter, this film has hope and Afrofuturistic mysticism.

Storytelling and Central African Cinema April 22, 2020 By Yaëlle Biro, Associate Curator, Department of the Arts of Africa (Article Originally Appears in www.metmuseum.org )

Griots, or jeliw, are bards who serve as narrators of oral traditions, history, and poetry. Their performances remain an important part of African culture. Ken Ngwa is a new emerging voice of creativity. His credits include motion pictures Nature Boy, Scam Republique, and New Bosses, a Wu Tang affiliated music video featuring Method Man. Ken Ngwa’ talent for filmmaking was first shown in 2018 with his critically-acclaimed movie Scam Republique. The film wowed audiences at the New York Hip Hop Film Festival. "This film is my most personal film I've made to date. There is an alienation which comes with being an immigrant in America, and up until the recent rise of social media, I realized I was not alone. To me it deals with the answer to a question that I've been asking myself since I was very young - what does it mean to be African? "

Follow his Instagram for snaps on set and for creative cultural visuals, featuring a seemingly endless supply of creative content. Ken Ngwa is a Brooklyn based Director.

Follow his Instagram for snaps on set and for creative visuals around the world @kenngwa @sunpeopleproductions .

Emerging Hollywood: Art, Film and Africa By sapellestyle. Published on December 12, 2020. (Article Originally Appears The Global Film Book Blog)

This time last year, there was a strong chance that Ava DuVernay was one of the best directors that those outside the industry didn’t know. Her very first film was I Will Follow (2010) starring Salli Richardson-Whitfield. The offering was beautifully shot, wonderfully written and included great acting from Ms. Richardson-Whitfield, Beverly Todd, Omari Hardwick and Michole White.

That film was followed by Middle of Nowhere (2012), another dialogue driven, honest look at a woman dealing with the incarceration of her husband. The film made DuVernay the first African American female to win the Best Director award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. She also created the African American Film Releasing Movement, dedicated to helping distribute quality independent film works by people of color. It is the first organization of its kind in the United States.

Today we profile a fresh new voice scorching through the halls of New York. Ken Ngwa is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and businessman. He is the creator, director, and executive producer of “Nature Boy,”. A film about growing up as an African immigrant on the southside of Chicago. As a Director he has slowly built an impressive body of work via social media. Social media is a real-time focus group for entertainment marketers.

“If you’re not listening to your customers and being super-nimble, I think that’s problematic,” said Mike Benson, Chief Marketing Officer at CBS. Proactive listening informs marketing strategies and helps marketers see how an artist or campaign is resonating with specific audiences. It’s not only the conversations happening on an artists social media channels — there is a ton of engagement and chatter that takes place on the channels of the talent. Ken Ngwa is “buzzing” , his insightful social commentary via his Instagram has 100,000 followers each month. The film industry is rapidly evolving beyond traditional platforms. Ngwa is one of a handful of artists on the threshold of the change brought on by the pandemic. His film “Scam Republique”, was a sheer feat of indie film grit, filmed on location in Central Africa it was one of the first films admittingly I have seen which take place in Cameroon.

A country so far off the grid, I googled and mostly what I saw had to do with football. Beaming on the cusp of success, Ngwa seems poised to explode onto the contemporary stage of cinema . Nature Boy was filmed in the guerilla film style. “We shot for 28 days, on the westside and the southside of Chicago. It was a bit scary, I was almost shot. Chicago is no joke but the story needed to be told.” Mostly known as a guerilla music film director he burst onto the scene of New York notoriety with a 2020 music video titled “New Bosses Remix” a Wu Tang affiliated song which featured the actor and movie star, Method Man.

When asked about his experiences with that project, Ken Ngwa had the following to say, “ Filming New Bosses was liberating, I got to thank everyone involved in the Wu Tang camp, especially Intel . Ken Ngwa’s social media u/kenngwa u/sunpeopleproductions

Emerging Filmmaker: Ken Ngwa December 3, 2020 (Article Originally Appears in www.ohthatfilmblog.com )

Since 1980, immigrants from Africa have formed an ever-larger percentage of immigrants to the United States, at least through 2017, when the president’s travel ban from mostly Muslim countries took effect. Today, Africans comprise 5.1% of all immigrants to the United States. With this increased education a new American identity has formed, the American African. Director Ken Ngwa explores this new facet of American Society in his work. Nature Boy is a film about growing up as an immigrant in Chicago. This is a new take on the coming of age genre, from a new schooler who is elevating and bringing to light acclaimed material. In 2020, few artists have amassed such a cult-like following primarily through social media as Ken Ngwa, this is one director’s material we must keep and eye out for.

@kenngwa @sunpeopleproductions