NEON announced today that CLARISSA will open in select theaters on December 11, 2026. The second feature film from twin brother directing duo Arie and Chuko had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight section. It became the second Nigerian feature selected in the history of the Festival. A bold reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s landmark novel Mrs. Dalloway, CLARISSA was widely praised for its exceptional ensemble cast, with Academy Award® nominee Sophie Okonedo and breakout star India Amarteifio earning particular acclaim for their performances across different decades as the titular character.
Cast by the legendary Academy Award® nominee Nina Gold, the ensemble also includes Golden Globe® nominee David Oyelowo, Emmy® Award winner Ayo Edebiri, Toheeb Jimoh, Fortune Nwafor, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Jude Akuwudike, Danny Sapani, Modesinuola Ogundiwin, Chuks Joseph, Kehinde Cardoso, Jable Osai, and Joke Silva.
CLARISSA follows society woman Clarissa (Okonedo) as she prepares to host a party at her home in Lagos, Nigeria, where she will unexpectedly encounter once-intimate friends from her youth. As the group reflects on their shared past over the course of a single night, memories of their intricate relationships, passionate love, hidden desires, and lost aspirations give rise to bittersweet reckoning.
Directed by Arie and Chuko and written by Chuko, the film was produced by Per Capita Production’s Theresa Park, Invention Studio’s Nicholas Weinstock, and Arie and Chuko Esiri, with cinematography by Jonathan Bloom, editing by Blair McClendon (AFTERSUN), music by Kelsey Lu, costume design by Eniola Dawodu, and production design by Hanrui Wang. Shot entirely in Nigeria, CLARISSA is a bold cinematic portrait of modern Nigeria, bringing one of literature’s most enduring works into conversation with a contemporary African metropolis and its complex sociopolitical tapestry.
Source: Black Film & TV
