ArtMattan Films picks up Sir Horace Ové’s final feature ahead of U.S. premiere

ArtMattan Films has acquired U.S. rights to The Ghost of Hing King Estate, the last feature directed by pioneering Trinidadian-British filmmaker Sir Horace Ové. The 2007 drama will premiere in the U.S. at ADIFF in New York on Dec. 12 before heading to more festivals and theaters in 2027.

Why it matters: - The acquisition brings the final feature from Sir Horace Ové, one of the key figures in Black British cinema, to U.S. audiences. - The film adds to ArtMattan Films’ catalog of African and African Diaspora titles and extends the distributor’s theatrical and educational reach. - The U.S. premiere gives the film a new launch point more than a decade after its original release.

What happened: - ArtMattan Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to The Ghost of Hing King Estate. - The film will make its U.S. premiere on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, at 8:00 PM at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. - ADIFF will present the screening as the gala selection for its Spotlight on Trinidad and Tobago Cinema at the 34th African Diaspora International Film Festival. - Trinidadian actor Michael Cherrie will attend the screening for a post-film conversation.

The details: - The Ghost of Hing King Estate is a 2007 Trinidad and Tobago drama set in Trinidad in 1971 and inspired by actual events. - The story follows mysterious deaths at Hing King Estate in Las Cuevas. - Carmelle, the estate overseer’s wife, becomes the target of accusations tied to murder and obeah, a Caribbean spiritual practice. - The film blends mystery and psychological drama. - The script was written by Francis Escayg. - The film was shot on location in Trinidad. - The ensemble cast includes Susan Hannays-Abraham, Errol Sitahal, Wendell Manwarren, Cecilia Salazar and Michael Cherrie. - Tickets and information are available at More information. - ArtMattan Films was founded in 1993 and is based in New York. - The company focuses on films from Africa, the Caribbean and the global African Diaspora. - ArtMattan Films distributes through theatrical, educational and digital channels. - The company’s website is the company website.

Between the lines: - The acquisition fits ArtMattan Films’ long-running focus on films that broaden U.S. visibility for Black and Caribbean stories. - The screening also reconnects Ové’s work with Trinidadian audiences and the wider diaspora. - Ové’s earlier film Pressure is widely recognized as the first feature-length film directed by a Black filmmaker in Britain, which frames The Ghost of Hing King Estate as part of a larger legacy.

What's next: - ArtMattan Films plans to take the film to additional festivals and theatrical venues in 2027. - The distributor is positioning the release to introduce the film to new American audiences. - Festival details and screening updates are expected to follow after the ADIFF premiere.

The bottom line: - The Ghost of Hing King Estate is getting a renewed U.S. run as both a mystery drama and a late-career work from a major Black cinema pioneer.