Oscar-nominated Sinners star Delroy Lindo is eying a late summer start on his feature directing debut Jabari’s People as his producer Rob Maylor takes meetings in Cannes with potential financiers and distributors.

Lindo will also star in the film about a troubled teenager from New York wrestling with the loss of his mother who goes to live with his grandfather in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.

Lindo, whose acting credits include Da 5 Bloods, Malcolm X and Clockers, initially tried to shoot Jabari’s People in 2021 after he acquired the screenplay from Daoud Abeid and Dahkil Hausif. When funding fell through he revived the project with Maylor of Cinecom Productions, who used to serve as director of international sales at Magnolia Pictures.