Following the 20th anniversary of the Urbanworld Film Festival, RLJ Entertainment has acquired and is set to release Leila Djansi’s compelling new feature film, “Like Cotton Twines.”

The film, which screened in the World Narrative Category at this year’s festival, follows Micah (Jay Ellis, “The Game,” HBO’s “Insecure”), an American volunteer who teaches in a Ghanaian village and harbors high expectations for his mother’s homeland.

He’s eager to help his students reach their full potential, especially the bright 13-year-old Tuigi (Ophelia Klenam Dzidzornu).

But when Tuigi’s family must pay for an accident caused by her father, Tuigi must abandon her education and offer herself as a sex slave.

Outraged and upset, Micah battles the tribal culture, religious customs, and the state itself in order to save Tuigi from a cruel fate.

“This film is almost akin to a marriage between Africans and African Americans. Our stories are deeply personal experiences that no one can tell to the world better than us. UMC is a foundation on which such stories can rest. I am continuously grateful that I am able to add to its tapestry,” said Djansi.

“Like Cotton Twines” is slated to premiere on RLJE’s subscription video on demand service, Urban Movie Channel (UMC) in December 2016. The film will also be released on DVD in early 2017.