Leila Afua Djansi is a distinguished American-Ghanaian filmmaker, director, producer, and screenwriter who has become a significant voice in African cinema. She launched her directing career with notable acclaim in 2009 and has since used her films to advocate for women’s rights and social justice. Through her production company, Turning Point Pictures, based in Los Angeles, she delivers powerful African stories that resonate internationally. Her works have earned numerous accolades and recognition at major international film festivals.
Profile Summary
| Full Name | Leila Afua Djansi |
| Date of Birth | July 17, 1981 |
| Place of Birth | Bangalore, India |
| Nationality | American-Ghanaian (Dual) |
| State of Origin | Volta Region, Ghana |
| Partner | N/A |
| Children | N/A |
| Occupations | Filmmaker, Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Founder of Turning Point Pictures |
| Net Worth | Estimated $1-5 million |
Early Life and Education
Leila Djansi was born on July 17, 1981, in Bangalore, India, into a Ghanaian family. Her father was a commercial pilot, and her mother was a senior nursing officer. Raised between India and Ghana, she gained a broad cultural perspective that later enriched her storytelling.
Initially, she aspired to become a gynecologist and later explored forensics, but her career path shifted when a Ghanaian actor encouraged her to write a screenplay. At 19, her first script, Babina, was produced, marking the start of her filmmaking journey.
She attended primary and secondary school in Ho, Volta Region, Ghana, and began her film studies at the National Film and Television School in Ghana.
Later, she moved to the United States, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Visual Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Cinema Studies from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
Career
Djansi began her professional film career at 19 with the Ghana Film Company. She worked as a writer and producer for state-owned Gama Film Company, contributing to projects like Legacy of Love. She is credited with writing Ghana’s first screenplay addressing LGBTQ+ themes, titled The Sisterhood.
Her breakthrough came with the 2009 film I Sing of a Well, a historical drama that won multiple awards, including a BAFTA/LA Choice Award and several Africa Movie Academy Awards. She followed with Sinking Sands in 2010, a film made in partnership with UNiFEM Ghana addressing domestic violence, which also received numerous awards.
Djansi’s films often blend advocacy with storytelling, as seen in Ties That Bind (2011), which focuses on diaspora identity, and Like Cotton Twines (2016), a film exposing the trokosi practice of ritual servitude in Ghana.
She expanded into television with the 2018 series 40 and Single, exploring modern African womanhood. Other works include Where Children Play (2015) starring Macy Gray and All the Men in My Life (2022).
Personal Life
Leila Djansi keeps her personal life private with little public information on her relationships or family. She actively uses her platform to promote women’s financial independence and healthy relationship dynamics.
She emphasizes the importance of economic self-sufficiency before marriage or parenting and advises against financial dependence by unmarried partners.
Net Worth
Leila Djansi’s net worth is estimated between $1 million and $5 million. Her income sources include directing, producing, screenwriting, and managing her production company.
Filmography
- Babina (2000) – Writer/Producer
- Grass Between My Lips (2009) – Director/Writer (Short Film)
- I Sing of a Well (2009) – Director/Writer
- Sinking Sands (2010) – Director/Writer
- Ties That Bind (2011) – Director
- And Then There Was You (2013) – Director/Writer
- Where Children Play (2015) – Director
- Like Cotton Twines (2016) – Director
- All the Men in My Life (2022) – Director
- 40 and Single (2018) – TV Series Creator/Director
Awards and Nominations
Her debut feature won several Africa Movie Academy Awards, including Best Sound, Best Costume, and the Special Jury Award for Overall Best Film. She also received the BAFTA/LA Pan African Film Festival Choice Award.
Her advocacy film Sinking Sands garnered multiple nominations and awards, including Best Original Screenplay. Ties That Bind earned the Best Diaspora Film award and other nominations.
Like Cotton Twines was nominated for Best World Fiction Film at the Los Angeles Film Festival and won best narrative feature awards at festivals. The TV series 40 and Single won audience awards at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
