1091 Pictures announced that Maya & Her Lover is currently available on all digital platforms. Written and directed by Nicole Sylvester, the film has garnered critical acclaim, receiving the Fan Favorite Award at the 2021 American Black Film Festival (ABFF).
Not only has the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews at ABFF but it was shown at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, the Pan-African Film Festival, and the African Diaspora International Film Festival. Recently, the film was screened at the Black Harvest Film Festival at the Siskel Film Center in Chicago.
According to the synopsis of the film, “Maya & Her Lover offers a perspective on love and romance that is rarely told: the tale of a woman who daringly goes against everything she believes about love, in search and favor of herself. Maya played by Ashanti J’Aria, is a 39-year-old woman stifled by complicated memories of her overbearing father and on the verge of becoming a recluse, begins a sexual relationship with a much younger man who at the ripe age of 22 is unsuccessfully attempting to overcome his past. While he serves as the catalyst for Maya’s evolution, her love interest Kaseem (Shomari Love) is never quite the center of the story the way she is.”
Sylvester shared her excitement about her passion for the story to come to life on the screen.
“Sharing Maya & Her Lover with the world is a dream come true,” she said. “I’ve spent over a decade in the industry helping others achieve their dreams and this was the opportunity for me to realize my dream of directing. With a shoe-string budget, I was able to bring my own personal narrative to the screen. We gathered a great cast, crew, and production team—who were all willing to support my vision by spending 12 long, hot days in Brooklyn to bring [the film] to life. It’s been a journey and this release feels like a celebration.”
“Nicole is the definition of a success story and her work ethic is evident in the quality of the projects she directs,” added Greg Maurice, 1091 Pictures Director of Acquisitions. “As a former intern and assistant who has worked on several mainstream TV shows and films, she has put in the work to build her experience and vision. The result of her tenacity is the release of her first feature film, Maya & Her Lover. Her film highlights the topic of love through the perspective of a Black woman, a narrative that is uncommon in most films. Though her film has been featured in several festivals, I'm confident this is only the beginning of Nicole's success as a director.”
Maya & Her Lover is available for order HERE.
