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Wunmi Mosaku, the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning star of Ryan Coogler’s 2025 hit “Sinners,” has come aboard British documentary short “Swim Sistas” as executive producer.
The film, celebrating Black women’s relationship
with swimming, was directed by Catherine Joy White (“Bridgerton,” “Fifty-Four Days”), with Naomie Harris (“Moonlight”) narrating. After premiering at DOC NYC and winning several awards on the festival circuit, it has now qualified for the 99th Academy Awards.
“The story of our relationship with swimming and water has so much depth and history, complexity that is so beautifully captured by ‘Swim Sistas,'” said Mosaku. “This powerful film and its themes speak personally to me, as I know it does many others, and I could not be more excited to join as executive producer. I believe ‘Swim Sistas’ will not only move people, but change how they see the world, and I’m proud to help its message reach a wider audience, and support its next chapter.”
Featuring four Black British women, “Swim Sista” follows Alice Dearing, Great Britain’s first Black female Olympic swimmer; professional rugby player and “The Traitors” contestant Jasmine Boatswain; teenage athlete Lexie Sandiford; and Roni Bruno, who learned to swim at the age of 54. Through their stories, the documentary explores what it says are the “barriers, histories and joy that shape Black women’s relationships with water.” Featuring original poetry written by White, the film sees Harris voice Mami Wata, a central poetic figure embodying “ancestral strength and hope for the future.”
“Wunmi is a stunning talent. Her work carries such depth and humanity and to have her join forces with ‘Swim Sistas’ brings another dimension to a world that has always been about so much more than swimming,” said White. “We’re honoured to have Wunmi on this journey with us as we continue to elevate Black women’s voices and reshape the story of who water is for.”
Added Afua Hirsch and Amandla Crichlow, executive producers and founders of Born in Me Productions: “Wunmi Mosaku is an actor of such skill and grace, who represents the beauty and power of Black women in a way that has truly universal resonance. We could not be more proud to have her as a partner on ‘Swim Sistas.’”
The attachment of Mosaku — also a BAFTA TV award winner for “Damilola, Our Loved Boy” — comes as the filmmakers behind “Swim Sistas” develop plans to expand the project into a documentary series exploring Black women’s relationships with water across the U.S., the Caribbean and Africa.
Also joining the film’s executive producing team alongside Mosaku is BAFTA-nominated executive producer Ash Horne (“Marion,” “The Second Time Around”).
“Growing up, swimming was something I always took for granted. It was simply part of being a kid and I never really questioned that privilege. So, when I learned that 97% of Black adults and around 80% of Black children in England don’t swim regularly, it really struck me,” said Horne. “‘Swim Sistas’ is a beautiful, heartfelt and important documentary that shines a light on this disparity while celebrating community and the joy of swimming. Catherine Joy White has created something genuinely moving, and I’m incredibly proud to support the film and help bring this conversation to a wider audience.”
Originally announced in Variety, “Swim Sistas” has since screened at more than 50 festivals worldwide. Its accolades include best documentary at Women X, a BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying festival, and the jury’s choice award at the Thomas Edison Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying festival. The film has also enjoyed a 26-cinema theatrical run, screened at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and opened special screenings of “The Little Mermaid” and “The Shape of Water.” It was featured at the inaugural United Nations Swimmable Cities Summit in Rotterdam and is being incorporated into the French national curriculum.
“Swim Sistas” is produced by Oriane Pick and Anaïs Ferrato of BAFTA-nominated Candid Broads Productions, with executive producers Hirsch (“Enslaved,” “Africa Rising”) and Crichlow (“Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul”) of Born in Me Productions, alongside White’s Forbes 30 Under 30 company Kusini Productions.
