"Oxford Gardens" Obi Emelonye's boxing themed movie wins big in Los Angeles

"Oxford Gardens"Obi Emelonye's boxing themed movie wins big in Los Angeles

Obi Emelonye's "Oxford Gardens" continued its winning streak at the 2016 Nollywood African Film Critics’ Awards.

The film won Best Director, Best Editing and Best Visual Effects at the event which held on November 19, 2016,  at the Prestigious Alex Theatre in Glendale, USA.

Speaking on the award, Emelonye said, "In Last Flight to Abuja,
we attempted to crash a plane on a shoe-string budget. It was a huge lesson. As part of the story in Oxford Gardens, there is a very important accident scene where a young girl is killed."

"I told my team that if we can make this scene work, with a level of visual realism and hence believability, then we would have made this great story special. So, we enlisted the help of the stunt co-ordination team that worked on big budget films like Skyfall and Johnny English."

"Their remit was, make this accident scene the best that has been seen in an African film. By God’s grace, they did succeed. I think, beyond the boxing and beyond the moving medical elements in the film, 'that accident scene' would probably remain the longest lasting legacy for Oxford Gardens.”

The movie, which marked the second collaboration between Africa Magic and Emenlonye’s production outfit, The Nollywood Factory, was shot in London, and tells the tale of love, struggles, redemption and the sport of boxing.

About Film

Julius is a broken, down-on-his-luck ex-­boxer, in search of redemption. Munachi is a pretty, bubbly young girl with a dark secret.
Their chance meeting on a park bench in Oxford Gardens one summer afternoon sets in motion an unlikely friendship and an uplifting journey through their respective fears; and through hope, faith and love; to a stoic acceptance of whatever life throws at them.

The film stars Ngoli Okafor, (2 time Golden Gloves, Heavyweight champion, top model and Hollywood Actor) Ngozi Thompson Igwebike, Savanah Roy and D'Richy Obi-Emelonye, make her acting debut.

Emelonye is popular for "Last Flight to Abuja," "Mirror Boy,""Thy Will be Done," amongst other of his productions.