Ghanaian filmmaker Zoey Martinson’s The Fisherman is heading to New York cinemas, with the award-winning comedy set to open at Quad Cinema on September 18. The release gives New York audiences another chance to see a film that made history in 2024 as Ghana’s first official selection at the Venice International Film Festival. Its move from a Ghanaian fishing community to one of America’s major film cities marks another important step in the journey of a film built around local stories, humour and dreams.
At Venice, The Fisherman screened as part of the 81st Venice International Film Festival and won the Fellini Medal through the Enrico Fulchignoni Prize from UNESCO. The recognition added another achievement to a historic festival appearance. For Ghanaian cinema, the Venice selection itself was significant, putting a Ghanaian feature on one of the world’s most established international festival stages and giving its story a wider audience.
The film’s roots, however, are deeply connected to Ghana. Zoey Martinson spent part of her teenage years living in Keta, a rural fishing community. That experience helped shape her understanding of community, tradition and the dreams people carry beyond their immediate surroundings. Martinson later drew from those memories while creating The Fisherman, bringing the atmosphere and humour of Ghanaian coastal life into the story.
At the centre is Atta Oko, a traditional fisherman whose life changes after he is forced into retirement. His unexpected companion is a modern, sarcastic talking fish. Together with three young associates, Atta Oko travels through Accra while chasing a simple but important dream: owning a fishing boat. Ricky Adelayitar plays Atta Oko, with the cast also featuring Endurance Dedzo, William Lamptey, Kiki-Romi, Adwoa Akoto and Dulo Harris.
What makes the premise unusual is the way Zoey Martinson combines comedy and fantasy with concerns rooted in everyday life. Beneath the talking fish and humorous situations are questions about tradition, modernisation, changing communities and the pressure created by a developing world. The film also touches on environmental changes affecting Ghana’s coastal fishing communities, including the impact of climate change and commercial fishing.
The Fisherman’s journey has continued well beyond Venice. It has appeared at festivals including the Pan African Film Festival, AFRIFF, Toronto Black Film Festival, Miami International Film Festival and Cleveland International Film Festival. It also reached New York before this theatrical release, premiering at the 2025 New York African Film Festival, where it was presented by Film at Lincoln Center. That earlier screening means the September cinema opening is not a New York debut, but a new theatrical stage for the film.
The film has also built an audience in Ghana, where its 2025 premiere at Silverbird Cinemas in Accra drew full houses. Its wider rollout across different countries has further extended its reach. Now, with its New York theatrical opening, The Fisherman is moving from festival recognition towards another form of audience connection.
The film is also notable as Zoey Martinson’s feature-length directorial debut, giving the New York release added importance in the filmmaker’s early career. Rather than separating its international ambitions from its Ghanaian identity, The Fisherman carries its setting, characters and sense of humour with it. That balance has helped the film move between festival audiences and theatrical spaces while remaining grounded in the culture that inspired its creation. It also gives its international journey a distinctive identity.
For Zoey Martinson, the journey began with memories of a Ghanaian fishing village and grew into a feature that reached Venice, earned a UNESCO-linked award and travelled across international festivals. Its arrival in New York brings that journey into another major cinema market, while keeping the heart of the story where it began: with a fisherman, his community and an unexpected dream.
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