Leila Djansi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leila Afua Djansi
Born	Leila Afua Djansi 17 July Bangalore
Occupation	Filmmaker
Known for	Like Cotton Twines (2016)

Leila Afua Djansi is a talented filmmaker. She is from both America and Ghana. Leila started her movie career in the film industry of Ghana.

Early Life and Dreams

Leila Djansi was born in 1981. Her dad was a pilot, and her mom was a senior nurse. Leila grew up in both India and Ghana.

When she was young, Leila loved acting and writing. She first wanted to be a doctor who helps women. Later, she became interested in solving crimes using science. But her path changed again! She met a Ghanaian actor named Sam Odoi. He asked her to write a movie script for him. When Leila was just 19, her script, Babina, was made into a movie.

School Days

Leila went to primary, junior, and secondary schools in Ho, Ghana. These schools included Kabore Primary and JSS, and Mawuli School.

She started learning about film at the National Film and Television School in Ghana. Then, she moved to the United States. She continued her film studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She even received a special scholarship for her artistic talent!

Making Movies

Leila Djansi began her career in entertainment in 1998. She was a runner-up in a beauty pageant in junior high. At 19, she started making films in Ghana. She worked with the Gama Film Company. There, she wrote and produced a film called Legacy of Love.

First Big Success

In 2009, Leila directed her first major film, I Sing of a Well. This movie was a huge hit! It received 11 nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards. It won the Special Jury Award for Best Film. The film also won the BAFTA/LA Choice Award at the Pan African Film Festival. This award was for excellent filmmaking.

Films with Important Messages

Leila then made Sinking Sands. This film supported the "Say No to Violence Against Women" campaign. This was for UNiFEM Ghana.

In 2011, her film Ties That Bind won an award. It was named Best Diaspora Film at the San Diego Black Film Festival. The movie was also chosen for AFI's New African Films Festival in 2012. The main actress, Kimberly Elise, was nominated for an award. The film was also nominated for Outstanding Foreign Film at the 2012 Black Reel Awards.

Shining a Light on Modern Slavery

Leila Djansi's film Like Cotton Twines was chosen for the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival. This movie was filmed in Ghana. It tells a story about modern-day slavery. An American volunteer goes to Ghana to teach. He finds out one of his students, a 14-year-old girl, is forced into religious slavery.

Other Works

Leila has also worked on other projects. These include Where Children Play with singer Macy Gray. She also directed the TV show 40 and Single for AMC's Urban Movie Channel. Another film is All The Men in my Life starring Rochelle Aytes.

Leila Djansi is known for using her films to help women. She often makes movies about women. She also makes sure many different people work on her films. Her movie I Sing of a Well changed filmmaking in Ghana. It brought a new way of telling stories to West Africa. Her work has inspired other filmmakers in Ghana. Leila continues to be praised for telling stories about black women through her films.

Awards and Special Recognition

Leila Djansi's first film, Grass Between My Lips, won a 2009 worldFest Platinum Award. This movie is about young women and early marriage in Ghana.

In 2010, her first feature film, I Sing of a Well, was nominated for 11 Africa Movie Academy Awards. It won three awards: Best Sound, Best Costume, and the Jury Special Award for Best Film.

In 2011, Leila received the BAFTA/LA Pan African Film Festival Choice Award for I Sing of a Well.

Her 2011 film Sinking Sands received 10 Africa Movie Academy Award nominations. Ama K Abebrese won Best Actress for her role. Leila Djansi won the Best Original Screenplay Award for this film.

Leila's third film, Ties That Bind, was nominated for a Black Reel Award in 2012. It also won Best Diaspora Film at the 2012 San Diego Black Film Festival.

In 2016, Djansi directed Like Cotton Twines. This film explored the practice of Trokosi in Ghana. It was nominated for "Best World Fiction Film" at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Like Cotton Twines also won the Best Narrative Feature award at the 2016 Savannah Film Festival. It won the same award at the Riverbend Film Festival in 2017.

Her other awards include the Film Independent Best Episodic for 2018 for 40 and Single. This show was made for AMCs' Allblk.