Unlike before when women were mostly given the opportunity to showcase their talent on screen, women are now the ones calling shots behind the scenes and delivering some the best movies of this time. In this feature, Daily Trust Saturday highlights the female filmmakers who are calling the shots in the Nollywood industry.
Jade Osiberu
Without a question, Osiberu is among the most gifted and imaginative directors working in the Nigerian film business. She has made a reputation for herself in the entertainment world owing to her remarkable writing and production abilities.
While working with Ndani TV, she developed her directing abilities by contributing to the seasons of the television shows “Gidi Up,” “Rumour Has It,” and “The Juice.” Her work on these series immediately earned her a reputation for having a distinctive vision and strong storytelling abilities.
After that, Osiberu made her debut as a director with the film “Isoken,” which took up the Best Nigerian Film prize at the 2018 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
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Her second film was ‘Sugar Rush,’ a romantic comedy released in 2019 that starred Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Omoni Oboli, and Bisi Aiyeola. The movie received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both reviewers and viewers, becoming a critical and financial success.
She signed an exclusive overall agreement with Prime Video in 2022, becoming the first African filmmaker to do so. Her recently released ‘Gangs of Lagos’ is the platform’s first Nigerian original.
Bolanle Austen-Peters
Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions debuted its first production, “SARO the Musical,” which toured Lagos and was seen in London’s West End, as a means of announcing its presence on the Nigerian theatre scene.
Austen-Peters also directed the musical “Fela and The Kalakuta Queens,” which is based on the true account of the activist and music legend from Nigeria, Fela Kuti, and the ladies who supported him. She also directed “Moremi the Musical,” which chronicles the tale of the Yoruba mythical queen who delivered the inhabitants of Ile Ife (in present-day Osun State) from the clutches of their adversaries in the 12th century.
In addition, her company produced the movie ‘93 Days’ about the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, which was chosen for the Toronto International Film Festival, the Chicago Film Festival, the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, the Johannesburg Film Festival, and the Africa Film Festival in Cologne/Germany. It was also nominated for a RapidLion Award.
Additionally, it was nominated for 13 awards at the 2017 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, winning one for “Best Lighting Designer.” The 2017 African Movie Academy Awards nominated the film in seven categories as well.
Austen-Peters directed the film Collision Course in 2020, which follows the lives of a law enforcement agent and an aspiring musician in Nigeria. It was streamed on Netflix and nominated for four prizes, including Best Film at the Africa International Film Festival AFRIFF (2021), Best Performance in a Film at AFRIFF (2021), and Best Performance in a Film at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice prizes AMA (2021).
It also won Best Movie (West Africa) at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. The movie starred Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha, Ade Laoye, Kenneth Okolie, Daniel Etim Effiong, Bimbo Manuel, and Gregory Ojefua.
Mildred Okwo
Known for her outstanding contributions to the Nigerian film industry, Mildred Okwo is a well-known Nigerian film director and producer.
In 2005, she shot her debut feature, ‘30 Days.’ The film, which got nine African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) nominations, received critical praise, swiftly establishing her as a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment sector.
In 2012, she directed the romantic comedy-drama film ‘The Meeting,’ which topped the box office of Nollywood films in the country and won multiple awards, including the Nigeria Entertainment honours (AMAA) and Nollywood Movies Awards.
Her other films that she has directed include ‘Suru L’ere’ from 2016, which was a box office success and garnered numerous accolades at both the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and the African International Film Festival.
She directed the highly anticipated movie “La Femme Anjola” in 2020, starring Nollywood celebrities Rita Dominic and Nonso Bassey.
Her films have garnered many awards both locally and abroad. In addition to being named one of “50 Women Shaping Africa” by Elle Magazine in 2016, she was nominated for the Best Director prize at the 4th Africa Movie Academy Awards.
She is also a founding member of the Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee, which chooses the film that will represent Nigeria at the Academy Awards.
Kemi Adetiba
Adetiba is an excellent filmmaker and music video director in addition to directing films.
She created, produced, and filmed her debut short film, titled “Across the Bloodied Ocean,” in 2008.The short film was shown at the 2009 Pan African Film Festival and the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta.
In 2016, she directed her debut feature film, the popular ‘The Wedding Party,’ which was a box office triumph. She later went on to direct the hit films “King of Boys” and “King of Boys: The Return of the King,” both of which were commercially successful. The former was continuously shown in theatres for 14 weeks and pulled in N104 million.
Adetiba is well-known for her remarkable work in the film business as well as for directing music videos for some of Nigeria’s top performers, including Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Banky W, and Olamide.
Her work has been featured on well-known TV networks like Channel O, MTV Base, Sound City TV, and BET. She has received countless nominations and prizes thanks to her wide range of talents and excellent abilities.
