Topmost African Screenplay Writer

About Abasseno Uko

I have learned that those who know where they are going at a young age are much more likely to achieve their goals successfully. I thank God for giving me a father and mother who not only understood this, directing me towards my natural love for films and movies but also taught me the importance of humility as I succeeded in an amazing film career. My dad, Joe Uko, was a painter and a fine artist. He followed his dad, my grandfather, Harry Uko, who was a sculptor. As a youngster in Nigeria, they taught me to trace human figures from fashion catalogues, coloring them with old fashion crayons, to the delight of my family, teachers, and friends. That sort of art in today’s Africa would be nothing to “write home about”, but in the 70’s it was an important beginning to those kids lucky enough to have fashion magazines, paper, and crayons.

Dad saw that my drawings had promise and my art was good –admittedly, his perception was clearly clouded with the love of a father–as he kept pushing me to get better and better throughout my adolescent years. From his own artistic career, he knew that the difficulties in making a living as a fine artist and painter no matter how good you were, so he encouraged me frequently his overly with his lovingly, loud, and expressive voice “I want you to make your images to walk and talk!” He took great delight in animation, visualizing me to a leading animator in Africa. At that time, one of a few could be found in Africa.

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Dad saw that my drawings had promise and my art was good –admittedly, his perception was clearly clouded with the love of a father–as he kept pushing me to get better and better throughout my adolescent years. From his own artistic career, he knew that the difficulties in making a living as a fine artist and painter no matter how good you were, so he encouraged me frequently his overly with his lovingly, loud, and expressive voice “I want you to make your images to walk and talk!” He took great delight in animation, visualizing me to a leading animator in Africa. At that time, one of a few could be found in Africa.

One day dad came home with a used 16 mm cinematic projector and sporting a big smile, “Abasseno, let’s make your perfect drawings come to life!” I was so thrilled! I knew it must have cost him a fortune and looking back, my fondness and love for him is over the top. None of my friends had a father so kind, so creative, and such a natural teacher as mine. He defended me when I was right, and with hard love, made sure I did not repeat the natural bad things boys do.

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African Winner of Cannes Film Award

Dad then showed me how to build my own cinematic projector with a cartoon! We took a medium-sized empty carton and cut a square hole in the front and a round hole on the backside. We then cut transparent cellophane paper into the size of 35 mm film strips glued them together into about twenty feet long then used a marker to create frames. He then taught me how to draw matchstick images directly on the frames to tell my animated story. You can imagine my excitement winding the roll of African-style film onto a small wooden rod beneath the square hole then gluing it to another rod above the square hole. We used a flashlight to shine light onto the cellophane paper and manually turned the roll creating our first animated cartoon, projected on our home’s wall. When I watched the images I drew moving, I opened my mouth and started shouting; providing sound effects as my cartoon characters were riding on horsebacks:

“jakri-jakri, mande-mande,
Jakri-jakri, mande-mande,
ude-ude-ude-ude-ude-ude-ude-ude!”

I was adding a talking voice to my animated movie. I was shouting with joy to add life and sync the movements of my cartoon characters. My dad gave me all the credit for the brilliant movie, even though he was the one that deserved it.

I also convinced my dad that I really wanted to act. He agreed and in elementary school, he strongly encouraged me to act in theatrical productions of popular African plays, written by South African author, Athol Fugard, and Nigerian authors, Eneh Henshaw, Wole Shoyinka, and J.P. Clark.

I became a very good actor at a young age and in my teens at Holy Family College, I took leading roles in Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’ and ‘Romeo and Juliet’. I also acted in ‘As You Like It’, ‘Comedy of Errors, ‘Henry IV parts 1, 2, and 3’, ‘Antony and Cleopatra’, ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Merchant of Venice’.

In the seventies when I was 19 years old, I traveled to the US and studied acting the Stage Group Theater at Union Square in San Francisco, with Wendell Philips, Keith Philips, and Jean Shelton. I worked extensively as a stage actor; and also as a theater director, theater producer, and theater manager. He went on to study film making at the San Francisco Art Institute where I graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree. I lived in the USA for about ten years, and has worked in many capacities with foreign production companies shooting everywhere in AFRICA!

 In concert with my acting career, in 202 I registered my company, FILMAGIC AFRICA LTD and our business is the coordination of feature film productions, TV Series, Documentaries, and corporate videos anywhere in Africa. Our connections in each of the continent’s countries are massive and our core business is to supply everything a film producer or director needs to make an excellent film or video production anywhere in Africa.

Currently, I am working as an Actor, Writer, Director and Film Producer in Africa. I produced a big budget feature film titled “MAITASINE” in Nigeria that was a very successful movie and succeeded in saving One Hundred twenty thousand Pounds for the investor.

This simple gesture of managing production funds prudently has been viewed as honesty and sincerity by many investors, producers and directors in the movie industry. It has gotten me lots of movie directing and producing jobs in Africa! Many foreign production companies, film producers and directors from the United states of America, European countries, Canada and India feel very comfortable working with me as their production coordinator anywhere in Africa; because they believe that I can give them very excellent services, save lots of money for them and protect their interest, whenever they are shooting in Africa!

I am the Chief Executive Producer of FILMAGIC AFRICA LTD. I’ve directed the feature films ‘BLOOD MONEY’, ‘RETURN TO KAZONDIA,’ ‘BLIND TRUST’, and ‘AMADAS’ in Africa; as well as multiple documentaries, corporate videos and television programs.

I’ve written compelling feature film scripts like: CRUDE OIL TERROR, FRAUD MERCHANTS, SPIRIT WIFE, MY LOVE IN PARIS, BLOOD MUST FLOW, EX-CONVICT and recently a fascinating novel titled, “JOE OF LEVI AND THE PRINCE PERSIA”. I have succeeded in developing two screenplays: Parts 1 and 2 from my fascinating novel titled, “JOE OF LEVI AND THE PRINCE PERSIA” which is set in San Francisco that he’ll direct! 

“JOE LEVI AND THE PRINCE OF PERSIA” is very visual, fun to read and  a very thrilling story about an eight foot tall giant, known as the Prince of Persia; sent from the kingdom of darkness by Satan to use Joe Levi as an evil example, kill millions of innocent American citizens and burn America to ashes; but Angelina Powers an anointed American Prophetess recognizes the Prince of Persia, and teaches a very stubborn man,  Joe Levi the heroic character how to use ancient spiritual powers to fight and terminate the Prince of Persia and his mission in America.

The central issue in this novel is that the Prince of Persia must be stopped from destroying America and killing Americans

The heroic goal is that Angelina Powers and Joe Levi must teach Americans how to worship God in spirit and truth, by getting rid of sinful lifestyles; and return America back to being God’s own country; so that God can protect America from the evil forces of Satan and his billions of demons.

The worthy adversary is the gigantic Prince of Persia, a spirit being who has the powers to transform into a human being, Great Dane, evil vultures, gargantuan monster, fire spitting serpents, violent sharks, initiate his victims with werewolf’s evil spirit, fly them in the sky like a kite and imprison them in a floating prison in the Pacific Ocean.

Angel Michael, God’s Field Marshal suddenly arrives in the floating prison in a flying saucer and imparts very great spiritual powers to Joe Levi, that he uses to fight and terminate the evil forces of the Prince of Persia and set free hundreds of innocent American children kidnapped from their homes and schools and locked up in prison by Satan and his evil forces.

My novel is very visual, fun to read and a very thrilling story that will be read by Christians all over the world used as literature textbooks in all church owned universities and high schools, all government and privately owned high schools in Africa. Kids from the age of six years old will enjoy reading this exciting novel! I have succeeded in developing Parts One and Two screenplays based on my novel “JOE OF LEVI AND THE PRINCE PERSIA”

Here is an excerpt from the Part One screenplay based on my novel “JOE OF LEVI AND THE PRINCE PERSIA” that is set in San Francisco, California, in the USA.

FADE IN:

1 INTERIOR ANGELINA’S LIVING ROOM EARLY EVENING 1

ANGELINA

In Jesus Mighty Name we’ve prayed!

CHARLIE BOY, AMY, DANNY

Amen! Amen! Amen! Fire!

ANGELINA POWERS (28) is an eye-catching African beauty with an attractive personality. She has a striking quality, which shows itself in the expensive simplicity of her gold embroidered sleeveless white top, ankle length African body hugging red skirt and red designer’s hat. She is studying the faces of the three kids that are spending their summer holiday with her.

DANNY (9); is the youngest of them, a fair freckled face boy, with thick brown hair, dressed neatly in his blue jeans shirt tucked into his blue jeans trousers, and brown cowboy boots. He is watching Angelina’s face to figure out if they are about to eat dinner. He smiles, stands up, loosens his belt and buckles it again.

AMY (15) is a vivacious Caucasian girl. She bust out with her loud ringing laugh. She is very beautiful and her head is flourishing with red hair, flowing down her back to her waist. She is dressed in a body hugging black dress. She looks at Danny; smiles at Angelina and bust out with another round of her loud ringing laugh.

Angelina smiles and turns towards her younger brother; CHARLIE BOY (20), who’s facial, features and height makes him look older than his age. He is dressed in a white three piece suit, red shirt, blue silk tie and burgundy cowboy boots. He has a striking smile. His eyes dart back and forth to Danny, Amy and finally lands on his elder sister’s face.

Angelina sweeps up, clapping her hands and smiling at Amy, Danny and Charlie Boy; who also spring up to their feet applauding. After a few seconds of applause Angelina motions for them to sit down; and the kids take their seats, while she keeps smiling at them. She’s admiring their zeal and courage for having the intestinal fortitude to fast from six in the morning till seven in the evening this summer.

All of a sudden, the delicious aroma of the turkey roasting in the oven invades the living room. It makes their mouths to salivate. She breaks out with a hilarious laugh, and the kids laugh too. She discerns that they didn’t laugh from the depths of their souls. She notices that their eyes are staring towards the kitchen door. It’s obvious that they are very hungry, because even her stomach has been growling seriously since their fasting ended by seven o’clock.

 Angelina is testing their toughness to see how long they can wait after fasting, before they start grumbling or complaining about hunger. She keeps studying their faces and smiling, whenever their eyes meet. The silence that envelopes the living room is growing by the second till they can hear nothing else but their breathing. 

Suddenly a loud beast like sound rumbles in the living room and Angelina turns around searching for the source of the noise.

ANGELINA

What was that?

 (Amy let out her loud ringing laugh, and throws her legs up on the armrest of the couch.)

AMY

Danny’s stomach is rebelling bitterly because of the hunger troubling his bowels!

 (She bust out again with her loud ringing laugh and claps her hands.)

(Danny crawls down from the couch and lies down on the living room floor, letting the cold floor calm his growling stomach.)

DANNY

I’m so hungry I could faint any second from now!

(An expression of utter astonishment appears on Angelina’s face; she springs up and gives Danny a few tickling punches on his ribs. Danny is having a feat of giggles. He wriggles free himself from her punches, and somersaults to his feet)

(Amy bust out with her loud ringing laugh.)

 (Charlie Boy walks defiantly, towards the kitchen door, but his elder sister rushes pass him)

CHARLIE BOY

Auntie Angelina you better give us our dinner, before somebody faints in this flat tonight!

(Angelina glances at her wrist watch and laughs; because she’s excited to discover that the kids can wait for about thirty minutes after prayers to eat their dinner. She is teaching them about patience in life.)

ANGELINA

It’s dinner time folks; the patient dog always eats the fattest bone. Sharpen your teeth, straighten your tongues and set the table, while I serve you the most delicious roasted turkey in America!

DANNY

Thank you, My Lord Jesus Christ, its dinner time at last!

(He screams as he dances his special choreography of disco dance steps, which he calls rope-a-dope. He believes that he’s the only one that can dance it.)

 (Charlie Boy and Amy are clapping, as they applaud Danny who is dancing with all his might. They are very happy, because they know that Angelina is going to load their plates with lots of turkey meat. They know that they are going to eat their hearts out, which is their traditional way of breaking their fasting throughout this summer holiday.)

2 INTERIOR    KICHEN         NIGHT 2           

(The dancing kids sweep into the kitchen and grab their plates, forks, and knives; playing them as musical instruments while they dance and sing one of their favorite choruses)

CHARLIE BOY, AMY, DANNY

What the Lord has done for me,

I cannot tell it all,

What the Lord has done for me,

I cannot tell it all,

What the Lord has done for me,

I cannot tell it all,

What the Lord has done for me,

I cannot tell it all,

(Angelina laughs because the kids are having tons of fun. The jubilating kids dance around her; while she inclines her head slightly and watches them. When she notices that they are focusing their attention on the oven, she sweeps and pulls open the oven. Suddenly a big black tom cat dives out from the hot oven, clutching a large piece of turkey thigh between its teeth.)

(The frightened kids shout, when they see the big black cat.)

ANGELINA

Blood of Jesus Christ!

AMY

You’re a worthless rogue!

(Charlie Boy kicks the cat, and it slips and falls down for a second, but it quickly springs up and leaps on the sink.)

CHARLIE BOY

Goddamn son of a bitch

(Danny throws his plate at the cat, which jumps out the widow, and the chinaware hits the wall; and crashes to pieces.)

DANNY

I’ll murder you; you goddamn thief!

(When Angelina pulls out the tray of turkey from the oven, a second cat with thick brown fur jumps out from the oven with a big chunk of turkey breast in its mouth.)

 (Angelina shrieks and throws a spatula at the fleeing cat.)

ANGELINA

Charlie Boy kill it quickly!

(Charlie Boy dives and catches the brown pussy cat by its hind leg.)

CHARLIE BOY

It bit my hand! Ah! Its scratching is just like biting!

(The pussy cat escapes through the window. Angelina is horrified when she sees the remains of their dinner. She roasted a huge turkey, so the kids could eat as many portions as they desired, but only a few mangled bones that looks like the skeleton of a vulture in some high school biology laboratory remains in the oven.)

ANGELINA

This is the zenith of witchcraft! How can those cats survive inside this hot oven for heaven’s sake?

3 EXTERIOR    UNION STREET  NIGHTS 3

(She charges to the kitchen window, where Amy has thrust her head out and is scanning Union Street for the cats.)

AMY

Eh! Look at them, down there on the side walk!

(Angelina looks out the window and sees the two cats looking up at her with scornful eyes.)

4 INTERIOR  LIVING ROOM  NIGHT 4

(She marches quickly into the living room, and grabs her golf club. Charlie Boy picks up his base ball bat, from behind the couch.)

5 INTERIOR  KITCHEN  NIGHT 5

Amy snatches the axe from the kitchen. Danny seizes a machete from the kitchen. And they sweep downstairs.)

6 EXTERIOR   UNION STREET     NIGHT 6

(The night is studded with hundreds of stars, and the full moon is floating ominously in the sky. They search around Union Street, but are very disappointed, because the two cats have vanished.)

If you are planning a production anywhere in Africa and need our excellent consultation, kindly contact Billy Lax or Gregory Lardner at this website and they will put you in touch with me.