Filmmaking duo Arie and Chuko Esiri have landed a major international distribution deal for their upcoming feature, Clarissa, with acclaimed American indie studio NEON.
The film, inspired by Virginia Woolf’s classic novel Mrs. Dalloway, marks the brothers’ second feature and centers on Clarissa, a high-society woman in Lagos whose carefully curated party becomes a catalyst for emotional reckonings. As familiar faces gather under one roof, buried romances, long-held secrets, and abandoned dreams resurface, turning the evening into an intimate exploration of memory, love, and regret.
Shot on 35mm film in Nigeria between November and December 2025, Clarissa unfolds across present-day Lagos, interwoven with flashbacks to the Esiris’ hometown of Abraka in Delta State. Speaking about the project, Chuko Esiri hinted at the film’s evocative musical landscape, citing Nina Simone’s rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as a track that captures the spirit of the story.
The cast brings together an impressive lineup of African and diasporan talent, including Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, India Amarteifio, Ayo Edebiri, and Toheeb Jimoh.
Written by Chuko Esiri and produced by both brothers, Clarissa also boasts a strong producing team. Theresa Park of Per Capita Productions and Nicholas Weinstock of Invention Studios are on board as producers, with Oscar-nominated Nina Gold and Thomas Bassett serving as co-producers. Executive producers include Sophie Okonedo, Dolly Omodolapo Kola-Balogun, Osahon Okunbo, and Jason Reif. Financing comes from Afreximbank-backed CANEX Creations Inc. (CANEX) and MBO Capital.
NEON, which will oversee U.S. distribution as well as international sales, is widely respected for championing bold, globally minded cinema. The company’s catalogue includes high-profile titles such as Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite and the Palme d’Or-winning Anatomy of a Fall.
The deal further solidifies the Esiri brothers’ growing international profile. Their debut feature, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), premiered in 2020 to critical acclaim, screened at top-tier festivals worldwide, and was distributed in North America by Janus Films. The film later made history as the first Nigerian title to be added to the Criterion Collection.
With Clarissa, Arie and Chuko Esiri seem ready to build on that momentum, bringing another distinctly Nigerian story to the global stage through a powerful partnership with NEON.
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