Tunde Kelani’s latest film, Dazzling Mirage, has won the PRIX Du Public, The Audience Award at the Nollywood Week Film Festival in Paris, France.
An excited Kelani said he was dedicating the award to people living with the sickle cell disorder.
“Beyond this achievement, our film continues to create more awareness about Sickle Cell Disorder. Let’s join the world to celebrate the International Sickle Cell Day on June 19, 2015,” he said.
Dazzling Mirage is a movie centred on the medical disorder known as sickle cell, advocating against stigmatisation and to help people make better informed decisions.
According to Kelani, “Dazzling Mirage is an inspiring story about a young advertising executive and a talented beautiful lady living with sickle cell disorder. Funmiwo (Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju) overcomes social stigma, prejudice and her own low self-esteem to achieve success in career, marriage and motherhood.
“Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder primarily affecting people of African ancestry. The disease causes the body to make abnormal sickle or crescent-shaped red blood cells that can block vessels, causing organ damage and pain,” Kelani said.
The flick is adapted from a novel of the same title by Yinka Egbokhare and screenplay adaptation is written by acclaimed writer and playwright, Ade Solanke. It is a story about love, denial, pain and perseverance, as fate unfolds through life’s twists and turns.
The producers have in the past said that Dazzling Mirage is proudly Nigerian, with all the scenes shot in different locations in the country. The seamless transition in the film is an attestation to an adequate deployment of human and material resources and the improved production capacity of film producers in Nigeria.
The movie parades the best of Nollywood, including Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju, Kunle Afolayan, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Bimbo Manuel, Carol King, Yomi Fash Lanso and Seun Akindele among others.
A good number of the cast was in France for the festival.