ARRAY Picks Up Merawi Gerima’s Residue, To Be Released On Netflix Sept. 17

ARRAY Releasing announces the acquisition of the award-winning drama RESIDUE, directed, written, produced and edited by first-time feature filmmaker Merawi Gerima. After its world premiere at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival, RESIDUE won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and the Acting Award for star Obinna Nwachukwu. RESIDUE is also an official selection of the 77th Venice International Film Festival’s Giornate degli Autori. The announcement was made by ARRAY founder Ava DuVernay.

ARRAY Releasing will debut RESIDUE on Netflix on Thursday, September 17, as well as in select cities theatrically throughout the month.

RESIDUE chronicles aspiring filmmaker Jay (Nwachukwu) who returns to his native Washington, DC to find his old neighborhood is gentrified beyond recognition. Dealing with alienation from his friends, troubled by the disappearance of a loved one and unsure of his place in this new community, Jay confronts issues of identity, isolation and loss on a tumultuous personal journey.

“Merawi Gerima’s impressive directorial debut is a powerful and poetic reflection on topics that are both deeply personal and undeniably universal,” said ARRAY President Tilane Jones. “Merawi’s exploration of the impact of gentrification, underemployment and Black male identity conjures a timely interrogation of the social ills that plague Black communities nationwide.”

The acquisition was negotiated by Gordon Bobb of Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein and Lezcano on behalf of ARRAY and Carol Contes of Contes Law Corporation on behalf of Gerima.