Co-Leader Manhattan
OTOJA ABIT
Writer, Producer, Director
First-generation Nigerian-American writer/director/producer/actor OTOJA ABIT (pronounced "O-toe-jay Abbitt") is best known for his award-winning debut short, JITTERS in which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred. JITTERS, an Academy Award qualifying short, received the audience award for Best Short at Urbanworld Film Festival, Best Actor at The Network Film Festival and finalist for HBO’s Best Short film.
Otoja expanded on his short JITTERS' and debuted his feature, A NEW YORK CHRISTMAS WEDDING, which Otoja wrote, directed and produced under his production company, Willful Productions. The first-of-its-kind urban-leaning holiday film was acquired by and premiered globally on Netflix in November 2020.
Otoja got his start in the industry interning at The Labyrinth theatre company, then went on to book roles in both television and film. TV acting credits; CBS’s BULL, HBO's The NIGHT Of, NBC's BLACKISH, Marvel's THE DEFENDERS and NBC’s limited series THE SLAP. Film credits; THE HUMBLING, directed by Barry Levinson and playing opposite Al Pacino; "Paris" in Aleta Chappelle's ROMEO & JULIET IN HARLEM; and gay liberation pioneer, Marsha P. Johnson in Roland Emmerich's STONEWALL.
Otoja was awarded the 2019 “Rising Star Award” by the Bushwick Film Festival. And the 2019 “Distinguished Alumni Award” by his alma mater, St. John’s University, where Otoja played division-1 basketball.