Variety
By Dave McNary
August 14, 2018 9:00AM PT
Orion Classics has acquired all North American and Latin American rights to the coming-of-age drama “Jinn,” which won the Special Jury Award for writing at the SXSW Festival in March.
Orion Classics will release the drama in theaters on Nov. 15 and on VOD and Digital HD on Nov. 16.
Written and directed by Nijla Mu’min, the film stars Zoe Renee, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Dorian Missick, Hisham Tawfiq and Kelly Jenrette (“The Handmaid’s Tale”). The film also won awards at the American Black Film Festival for best screenplay and best actor for Renee, the Blackstar Film Festival for best feature narrative and audience award and at the Roxbury Film Festival for best narrative feature.
“’Jinn’ is a coming of age film that deals with the struggles to find one’s true identity amidst familial and religious influences,” said Mu’min. “As our media landscape becomes more inclusive and nuanced, this film offers a specific, yet universal story of identity, first love, and shifting family relationships.”
Producers are Sweet Potato Pie Production’s Avril Z. Speaks, Morgan’s Mark Production’s Maya Emelle, and Arielle Saturne. Executive producers are Elton Brand, Angela Harvey, Jason Kampf, Mike C. Manning, Shandra L. McDonald, Amy McGary, Kristen McGary and Confluential Films’ Billy Mulligan and Tommy Oliver.
Renee portrays a 17-year-old carefree black girl, whose world is turned upside down when her mother, a popular meteorologist (played by Missick), abruptly converts to Islam and becomes a different person.
Amy Nicholson said in her review for Variety, “‘Jinn’ is the rare coming-of-age story that doesn’t simply pat kids on the head and tell them they just need to love themselves. Instead, Mu’min holds her characters accountable for the way they discombobulate each other’s lives, while giving them the space to do better, if they can figure out what better is.”
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