Justin Smith Uzomba

Writer/Director

AGENT

Christina Pickworth
+44(0)7876 685515

Justin Smith Uzomba was born to Nigerian immigrants and hails from Hackney in London.

Having spent a decade releasing music both independently and on a major record label under the moniker Mikill Pane – as well as collaborating and touring with such acts as Ed Sheeran, Giggs, Mac Miller, Paloma Faith, The Shoes and many more – Justin decided to make a foray into screenwriting in 2020, at the behest of friends and collaborators George the Poet and Romesh Ranganathan.

In 2021, Justin entered Soho House’s prestigious short film competition, Soho House Shorts, with an entry entitled F.I.T.D. Justin not only made the shortlist of the competition, but received very high praise from one of the judges – none other than Oscar-winning writer-director Barry Jenkins. The script also caught the eye of another industry luminary, Andrew Deane, who entered into a literary management deal with Justin at the end of that year.

As of 2022, Justin is a proud client of Imagine Talent.

IN DEVELOPMENT

TAKE THE L
(writer)
TV series, pilot script available. A talented lyricist trying to make his skills pay the bills must navigate complicated relationships with friends, family and foes and learn some valuable, often painful, lessons if he’s to make it in life, let alone the rap game.

SHIFTING GEARS
(writer)
Feature film. After completing a lengthy prison sentence, a young man cycles solo from London to Lagos, Nigeria – discovering various things about himself and others before and during the epic journey. Based on a true story.

THE COG AND THE CRANK
(writer)
TV series. A notorious but intelligent teenage girl decides to get her act together after narrowly avoiding a custodial sentence and lands a job in a local bike shop, where she strikes up an unlikely friendship with its curmudgeonly, terminally ill owner.

OUT THE BAG
(co-writer)
TV series, being written with Louis Norton-Selzer. A London drug dealer’s plans to start a new life by the seaside are scuppered when he’s extorted for his house deposit by a deranged gangster. The only way he can make the money back before his disapproving girlfriend finds out involves getting his hands on the very handsome reward on offer for the return of a very ugly cat.


SHORT FILM

KEEPING UP A PARENT, SIS
(writer/director)
*WINNER Soho House Shorts Competition 2024 in partnership with Campari.

F.I.T.D.
(writer/director)
Two strangers have a chance encounter and go their separate ways, unaware that they share a bond more powerful than they may ever realise. Exec Produced by Ben Bailey Smith and Romesh Ranganathan, and starring Gary Beadle, Joe Wilkinson and Bethan Mary-James.
*Shortlisted for Soho House’s prestigious Soho House Shorts


ONLINE

DROPPED
(writer)
Channel 4 digital comedy series produced by Tobi Kyeremateng and published weekly on YouTube.