EXCLUSIVE: Production has wrapped on Edem Kelman’s debut feature Chairman starring Ṣọpé Dìrísù following a shoot in London and Paris.
Dìrísù plays Duke, a man who dreams of uniting London’s African diasporic community. As his ambition grows, so do the risks, endangering not only his dreams but also the lives of those who come to rely on him.
Samuel Adewunmi and Heather Agyepong star alongside Dìrísù.
Chairman is based on an idea by Kelman, who co-wrote the script with Noah Reich. Reich produces for his Two by Two Productions, with James Bowsher and Mike Goodridge for Good Chaos. Sydney Oberfeld is a co-producer for Good Chaos.
The film was developed by Film4, and is co-financed by Film4, the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), HiPo Productions, Amplify Capital, Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology and Bleat Film.
Executive producers are David Kimbangi for Film4, Ama Ampadu for the BFI, Nick Potts and Jessica Hickman for HiPo, Demola Elebute for Amplify Capital, Phil Hunt and Compton Ross for Head Gear, and Tristin Norwell and David Turner for Bleat.
Key heads of department include cinematographer David Gallego, production designer Phoebe Platman, costume designer Ruka Johnson, hair and makeup designer Billie McKenzie, casting director Coralie Rose, line producer Rob Jelley and editor Fin Oates.
Kelman was named a Screen UK-Ireland Star of Tomorrow in 2021, and has previously made shorts including 2022’s Express, while 2025’s Terence was nominated for the Bafta for best British short film. Dìrísù and Adewunmi were also named Stars of Tomorrow in 2016 and 2019, as was Bowsher in 2024.
“With an electric Ṣọpé Dìrísù at its heart, the film promises to be a soulful, fearless, and ambitious debut that brings a whole community vividly to life,” said Kimbangi, with Film4 having previously backed Express.
“With its vivid, propulsive style, the film immerses us in the world of first-generation African diasporic communities in the UK,” said Ampadu. “Chairman feels particularly timely, speaking to the experience of displacement while exploring the fundamental human need for belonging and community.”
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