Laurel To Hollywood: MD Native Screens Movie At One Of World's Biggest Film Festivals

LAUREL, MD — Film festivals are usually filled with Hollywood mainstays, but one Marylander is breaking onto the scene.

Meet Elijah Washington. The Laurel native and Meade High School graduate has made a name for himself after just a few years in Los Angeles.

The movie producer partnered with his brother and is taking their latest project to France's Cannes Film Festival, one of the world's largest.

The movie, called "Alemanji," follows a first-generation Black American whose strict parents are from Africa. The teenage protagonist must juggle his African roots with his current African-American lifestyle, prompting clashes between his traditional family and his new-age friends.

"Oftentimes, people just have this assumption that all Black people come from the same place [and] have the same thought process," Elijah told Patch in an exclusive interview. "We may have the same color skin, [but] we may come from two completely different parts of the world."

Elijah has not forgotten his Maryland roots.

He grew up in Anne Arundel County and spent plenty of time in Baltimore, where his father is the pastor of Celebration Church at Monroe Street.

Elijah attended the private Glenelg Country School before transferring to Meade High for 11th and 12th grade. As an upperclassman, he ran track for the Meade Mustangs and studied in the school's International Baccalaureate program.

Elijah called his time at Meade the "most transformational years" of his young adult life.

"I loved being a Mustang," Elijah said, shouting out guidance counselor Tiffany Spalding, who also went to his family's church. "She was just so instrumental in me finding my college."

Elijah graduated from Meade in 2015, earned his music business degree from Indiana's Anderson University in late 2018 and moved to Los Angeles in early 2019.

Within his first year out west, Elijah scored a job writing music for BET's original movie "Angrily Ever After." The fresh graduate also guest-starred in the Daytime Emmy-nominated show "A House Divided." In 2020, he founded his own media company called Fire Rock Productions.

Elijah's older brother, Robert "Zay" Washington, introduced him to "Alemanji." Robert secured some shoot locations for the film, and he invited Elijah to join the team as an executive producer.

"Working with my brother is perfect," Robert told Patch. "He gets me. We don't let age dictate who has good ideas and who doesn't. We don't let egos get in the way of good business."

Hesitant at first, Elijah came home to see what the "Alemanji" hype was all about. It didn't take long before he fell in love with the movie, which was filmed in the DMV.

The high school scenes were shot at Glenelg Country School in Ellicott City. The house scenes were filmed in Washington, D.C.

"I knew Elijah would be an integral part of post production," said Robert, who was also an executive producer for the movie. "If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be screening the film during the Cannes film festival!"

Alemanji is the main character and the movie's namesake. Unlike his older brother, Alemanji never learned his parents' native language. That always made Alemanji feel like an outcast in his own family.

Alemanji's parents are also suspicious of his friends, who they see as trouble. The tension boils over when Alemanji disobeys his parents, attends the party of the year and is torn between two love interests.

Though "Alemanji" explores topics like culture and race, it's still a fictitious comedy.

"I think comedy is one of the best ways to talk about some of the various issues ... plaguing certain communities," Elijah said.

As one of several executive producers, it was Elijah's job to take "Alemanji" across the finish line.

Elijah turned to one of his Hollywood mentors, Lisa Osinloye, to help distribute the film. Lisa, a co-founder of Ten Ten Global Media, has worked with stars like actor Samuel L. Jackson and country singer Dolly Parton.

After watching the "Alemanji" trailer, Lisa was sold and also signed on as an executive producer.

"Alemanji delivered the goods," Lisa told Patch. "It's a great feel-good coming of age from a different cultural experience; the type of movie that will have you laughing constantly. I cannot wait for the world to see it."

The movie was released this February during Black History Month.

Lisa then helped "Alemanji" get a slot at Festival de Cannes. The film will air at the festival this Friday.

The screening is part of the Pavillon Afriques. This portion of the festival spotlights African movies and creators from the diaspora.

Patch requested a comment from the festival, but we never got a reply.

Lisa is confident that "Alemanji" is only the beginning for Elijah. She called him "a man of motivation, determination, and discipline."

"He is one of the hardest working people I know," Lisa said. "It's extremely rare that you find someone who is willing to work relentlessly until a project makes it across the finish line, Elijah does just that."

Fans can watch the "Alemanji" trailer on YouTube. The PG-13 film is also available to rent or buy on Vudu. The movie may soon appear on streaming platforms, Elijah said.