Queen of Katwe
Updated: 5/24/2026, 6:59:37 PM Wikipedia source
Queen of Katwe is a 2016 American biographical sports drama film directed by Mira Nair and written by William Wheeler. Starring David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o, and Madina Nalwanga, the film depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a girl living in Katwe, a slum of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. She learns to play chess and becomes a Woman Candidate Master after her victories at World Chess Olympiads. Adapted from an ESPN magazine article and book by Tim Crothers, the film was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and ESPN Films. Queen of Katwe was screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. The film had a limited release in the United States on September 23, 2016, before a general theatrical release on September 30. It received critical acclaim and secured several awards among numerous nominations.
Infobox
Directed by
Mira Nair
Screenplay by
William Wheeler
Based on
The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers
Produced by
John Carls Lydia Dean Pilcher
Starring
David Oyelowo Lupita Nyong'o
Cinematography
Sean Bobbitt
Edited by
Barry Alexander Brown
Music by
Alex Heffes
Production companies
Walt Disney Pictures ESPN Films Cine Mosaic Mirabai Films
Distributed by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release dates
September 10, 2016 (2016-09-10) (TIFF) September 23, 2016 (2016-09-23) (United States)
Running time
124 minutes
Country
United States
Languages
English Luganda
Budget
$15 million
Box office
$10 million
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Award
Award
List of awards and nominations
Award
List of awards and nominations
Date of ceremony
List of awards and nominations
Category
List of awards and nominations
Recipient(s)
List of awards and nominations
Result
List of awards and nominations
Ref(s)
African-American Film Critics Association
African-American Film Critics Association
List of awards and nominations
African-American Film Critics Association
List of awards and nominations
February 8, 2017
List of awards and nominations
Top 10 Films
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
10th place
Africa Movie Academy Award
Africa Movie Academy Award
List of awards and nominations
Africa Movie Academy Award
List of awards and nominations
July 15, 2017
List of awards and nominations
Most Promising Actor
List of awards and nominations
Madina Nalwanga
List of awards and nominations
Won
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Leading Role
List of awards and nominations
Best Actor in a Leading Role
List of awards and nominations
David Oyelowo
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
List of awards and nominations
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
List of awards and nominations
Lupita Nyong'o
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
List of awards and nominations
Best Director
List of awards and nominations
Mira Nair
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Film
Best Film
List of awards and nominations
Best Film
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Production Design
Best Production Design
List of awards and nominations
Best Production Design
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Costume Design
Best Costume Design
List of awards and nominations
Best Costume Design
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
Won
Best Visual Effects
Best Visual Effects
List of awards and nominations
Best Visual Effects
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
List of awards and nominations
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
List of awards and nominations
December 21, 2016
List of awards and nominations
Best Woman Director
List of awards and nominations
Mira Nair
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance
Best Breakthrough Performance
List of awards and nominations
Best Breakthrough Performance
List of awards and nominations
Madina Nalwanga
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Black Reel Awards
Black Reel Awards
List of awards and nominations
Black Reel Awards
List of awards and nominations
February 16, 2017
List of awards and nominations
Outstanding Actress
List of awards and nominations
Madina Nalwanga
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress
Outstanding Supporting Actress
List of awards and nominations
Outstanding Supporting Actress
List of awards and nominations
Lupita Nyong'o
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Outstanding Original Song
Outstanding Original Song
List of awards and nominations
Outstanding Original Song
List of awards and nominations
"Back to Life" – Alicia Keys, Illangelo and Billy Walsh
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Critics Choice Awards
Critics Choice Awards
List of awards and nominations
Critics Choice Awards
List of awards and nominations
December 11, 2016
List of awards and nominations
Best Young Performer
List of awards and nominations
Madina Nalwanga
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Evening Standard British Film Awards
Evening Standard British Film Awards
List of awards and nominations
Evening Standard British Film Awards
List of awards and nominations
December 8, 2016
List of awards and nominations
Best Actor
List of awards and nominations
David Oyelowo (also for A United Kingdom)
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Golden Tomato Awards
Golden Tomato Awards
List of awards and nominations
Golden Tomato Awards
List of awards and nominations
January 12, 2017
List of awards and nominations
Best Kids/Family Movie 2016
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
2nd Place
London Film Critics' Circle
London Film Critics' Circle
List of awards and nominations
London Film Critics' Circle
List of awards and nominations
January 22, 2017
List of awards and nominations
British/Irish Actor of the Year
List of awards and nominations
David Oyelowo (also for A United Kingdom)
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
NAACP Image Awards
NAACP Image Awards
List of awards and nominations
NAACP Image Awards
List of awards and nominations
February 11, 2017
List of awards and nominations
Outstanding Actress
List of awards and nominations
Madina Nalwanga
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress
Outstanding Supporting Actress
List of awards and nominations
Outstanding Supporting Actress
List of awards and nominations
Lupita Nyong'o
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor
Outstanding Supporting Actor
List of awards and nominations
Outstanding Supporting Actor
List of awards and nominations
David Oyelowo
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Outstanding Film Director
Outstanding Film Director
List of awards and nominations
Outstanding Film Director
List of awards and nominations
Mira Nair
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
National Film Awards UK
National Film Awards UK
List of awards and nominations
National Film Awards UK
List of awards and nominations
March 29, 2017
List of awards and nominations
Best Actress
List of awards and nominations
Lupita Nyong'o
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best International Film
Best International Film
List of awards and nominations
Best International Film
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
List of awards and nominations
Toronto International Film Festival
List of awards and nominations
September 18, 2016
List of awards and nominations
People's Choice Award
List of awards and nominations
Mira Nair
List of awards and nominations
3rd Place
Women Film Critics Circle
Women Film Critics Circle
List of awards and nominations
Women Film Critics Circle
List of awards and nominations
December 19, 2016
List of awards and nominations
Best Movie by a Woman
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Young Actress
Best Young Actress
List of awards and nominations
Best Young Actress
List of awards and nominations
Madina Nalwanga
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Female Images in a Movie
Best Female Images in a Movie
List of awards and nominations
Best Female Images in a Movie
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
Best Family Film
Best Family Film
List of awards and nominations
Best Family Film
List of awards and nominations
Queen of Katwe
List of awards and nominations
Won
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards
List of awards and nominations
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards
List of awards and nominations
February 16, 2017
List of awards and nominations
Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $25 Million
List of awards and nominations
Linda Cohen and Zohran Kwame Mamdani
List of awards and nominations
Nominated
| List of awards and nominations | |||||
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
| African-American Film Critics Association | February 8, 2017 | Top 10 Films | Queen of Katwe | 10th place | |
| Africa Movie Academy Award | July 15, 2017 | Most Promising Actor | Madina Nalwanga | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | David Oyelowo | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Lupita Nyong'o | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Mira Nair | Nominated | |||
| Best Film | Queen of Katwe | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Queen of Katwe | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Queen of Katwe | Won | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Queen of Katwe | Nominated | |||
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | December 21, 2016 | Best Woman Director | Mira Nair | Nominated | |
| Best Breakthrough Performance | Madina Nalwanga | Nominated | |||
| Black Reel Awards | February 16, 2017 | Outstanding Actress | Madina Nalwanga | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress | Lupita Nyong'o | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Original Song | "Back to Life" – Alicia Keys, Illangelo and Billy Walsh | Nominated | |||
| Critics Choice Awards | December 11, 2016 | Best Young Performer | Madina Nalwanga | Nominated | |
| Evening Standard British Film Awards | December 8, 2016 | Best Actor | David Oyelowo (also for A United Kingdom) | Nominated | |
| Golden Tomato Awards | January 12, 2017 | Best Kids/Family Movie 2016 | Queen of Katwe | 2nd Place | |
| London Film Critics' Circle | January 22, 2017 | British/Irish Actor of the Year | David Oyelowo (also for A United Kingdom) | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | February 11, 2017 | Outstanding Actress | Madina Nalwanga | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress | Lupita Nyong'o | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor | David Oyelowo | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Film Director | Mira Nair | Nominated | |||
| National Film Awards UK | March 29, 2017 | Best Actress | Lupita Nyong'o | Nominated | |
| Best International Film | Queen of Katwe | Nominated | |||
| Toronto International Film Festival | September 18, 2016 | People's Choice Award | Mira Nair | 3rd Place | |
| Women Film Critics Circle | December 19, 2016 | Best Movie by a Woman | Queen of Katwe | Nominated | |
| Best Young Actress | Madina Nalwanga | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Images in a Movie | Queen of Katwe | Nominated | |||
| Best Family Film | Queen of Katwe | Won | |||
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | February 16, 2017 | Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $25 Million | Linda Cohen and Zohran Kwame Mamdani | Nominated | |
References
- Queen of Katwehttps://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/queen-katwe-2016
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2015/01/david-oyelowo-lupita-nyongo-queen-of-katwe-chess-movie-1201345794/#
- Box Office Mojohttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=queenofkatwe.htm
- Vanity Fairhttps://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/08/lupita-nyongo-disney-d23-star-wars-jungle-book-queen-of-katwe
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51521775
- The Starhttp://allafrica.com/stories/201505110316.html
- The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/lupita-nyongo-and-david-oyelowo-star-in-the-new-trailer-for-queen-of-katwe-a7023546.html
- CNNhttp://www.cnn.com/2012/12/10/world/africa/uganda-chess-teen/index.html?hpt=hp_c1
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2016/film/news/tendo-nagenda-disney-executive-vp-production-1201776279
- Wiredhttps://www.wired.com/2016/09/queen-of-katwe
- Entertainment Weeklyhttps://web.archive.org/web/20160904122734/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/02/queen-of-katwe-clip
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2015/film/news/david-oyelowo-lupita-nyongo-in-talks-for-disneys-queen-of-katwe-1201398306/#
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/movies/queen-of-katwe-makes-moves-on-a-ugandan-chessboard.html
- Creative Screenwritinghttp://creativescreenwriting.com/queen-of-katwe
- Queen of Katwe at IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt4341582/
- Entertainment Weeklyhttps://www.ew.com/article/2016/08/15/queen-katwe-lupita-nyongo-return
- CNNhttp://www.cnn.com/2016/09/12/entertainment/dayid-oyelowo-lupita-nyongo-queen-of-katwe-oscars
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-en-mn-david-oyelowo-toronto-film-festival-20160910-snap-story.html
- The Globe and Mailhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/awards-and-festivals/tiff/africas-untold-story/article31796932
- Entertainment Weeklyhttps://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/05/lupita-nyongo-queen-of-katwe-first-look