Jonah
“When two young men photograph a gigantic fish leaping from the sea, their small town becomes a tourist attraction in this story about the old and the new.”
Synopsis
Mbwana and his best friend Juma are two young men with big dreams. These dreams become reality when they photograph a gigantic fish leaping out of the sea and their small town blossoms into a tourist hot-spot as a result. But for Mbwana, the reality isn't what he dreamed – and when he meets the fish again, both of them forgotten, ruined and old, he decides only one of them can survive. Jonah is a big fish story about the old and the new, and the links and the distances between them. A visual feast, shot though with humour and warmth, it tells an old story in a completely new way.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
CGI VFX Breakdowns : "Jonah" by Factory Fifteen
Type: Featurette • Published 2013-06-14
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Release History & Theatrical Window
January 16, 2013
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Kibwe Tavares
- Screenplay & Story
- Jack Thorne
- Original Score
- Mark Sayfritz
- Original Title
- Jonah
- Country of Origin
- Tanzania, United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 17m
- Production Studios
- Factory Fifteen, Jellyfish Pictures, Shine Pictures, Stray Bear Productions, BFI
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Kibwe Tavares
Jack Thorne
Mark Sayfritz
Chloë Thomson
Chris Collins, Philip Dobree, Ollie Madden, Eva Yates, Ivana MacKinnon
Department Leadership Roster
Kibwe Tavares
Director
Jack Thorne
Writer
Mark Sayfritz
Original Music Composer
Ivana MacKinnon
Producer
Fiz Oliver
Producer
Sarah Wheale
Producer
Paul Nicholls
Production Design
Paul Nicholls
Visual Effects Supervisor
Chloë Thomson
Director of Photography
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Jonah.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Jonah.
Daniel Kaluuya Portfolio - Movies
Curated master portfolio of movies starring Daniel Kaluuya Portfolio - Movies. Updated frequently. Last updated September 26, 2026.
Similar Titles to Jonah
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.8
7.0
5.9
6.5
3.5
7.8![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 2 3"%3E%3Crect width="2" height="3" fill="%23161922"/%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Serengeti River Crossing
7.3
7.7
6.7
6.0
6.4
More Like Jonah
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jonah
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Jonah about?
Mbwana and his best friend Juma are two young men with big dreams. These dreams become reality when they photograph a gigantic fish leaping out of the sea and their small town blossoms into a tourist hot-spot as a result. But for Mbwana, the reality isn't what he dreamed – and when he meets the fish again, both of them forgotten, ruined and old, he decides only one of them can survive. Jonah is a big fish story about the old and the new, and the links and the distances between them. A visual feast, shot though with humour and warmth, it tells an old story in a completely new way.
Who directed Jonah?
Jonah was directed by Kibwe Tavares.
Who stars in Jonah?
The principal cast of Jonah includes Daniel Kaluuya, Malachi Kirby, Louis Mahoney.
When was Jonah released and how long is it?
Jonah was released in 2013 with a total runtime of 17m.
Who composed the musical score for Jonah?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Jonah was composed by Mark Sayfritz.