In October 2025, I spent over an hour in conversation with Damola Layonu, a Nigerian film professional based in Oshawa, Ontario, about an hour east of Toronto, Canada. Layonu trained as a lawyer and worked in both Nigeria and Canada before co-founding Snag Productions with his wife, Chiagoziem Obi, a distribution company that, in his […]
Tag: Nigeria
Young Nigerian Filmmakers Interrogate the National Audiovisual Archive
“Post Memory, Post Archive” is a year-long fellowship designed by Oluwadara Omotoso and Ese Emmanuel and supported by the Goethe-Institut Nigeria, the Lagos branch of Germany’s publicly funded cultural institution. The program brought together 11 Nigerian filmmakers and cultural practitioners to engage directly with the country’s fragile film heritage. The fellowship began with a visit […]
AFRIFF Unveils Africa Film Content Market
Lagos will host the first Africa Film Content Market (Nov 3–6, 2025), a new platform for rights sales, co-production deals, and industry partnerships. September’s launch session, staged this week, laid out the basics: how markets work, what buyers expect, and why only a curated subset of Nigeria’s 1,000+ films per year can realistically travel. The […]
The Nigeria–Brazil Cinema Link Ola Balogun Built
On June 24, 2025, Nigeria and Brazil signed their first official co-production treaty for film, television, and digital content. Akoroko covered the announcement in real time and published a detailed breakdown of what the agreement could mean, and what still hasn’t been put in place. Subsequently, I found myself wondering not just about its future […]
Inside the UK–Nigeria Collaboration Behind MY FATHER’S SHADOW + Akinola Davies Jr’s Next Film Set
🎥 My Father’s Shadow was the first Nigerian feature ever selected for Cannes’ official program. What followed, and what comes next? 📌 UK-based producer Rachel Dargavel breaks down the collaboration 📌 Nigerian-set thriller “Delta Force Six” confirmed as Davis Jr’s next project 📌 Still no Nigerian premiere, despite international festival run 📌 Local infrastructure, power […]
Mapping Africa’s Co-Production Treaty Landscape (Report)
We’ve compiled a snapshot of Africa’s co-production treaty landscape: 48 agreements across 16 countries, mapped and analyzed. 📌 South Africa: 12 treaties; most globally connected📌 Morocco: 11 treaties; building intra-African links📌 Nigeria: first treaty ever, signed with Brazil in 2025📌 France still leads partnerships, but South–South connections increasing📌 Recent deals now cover streaming And more… […]
Nigerian Government Stepping Up? Insights from the 2024 Cannes Marché du Film
Ultimately, one can infer that efforts are being made at the government level to support its film sector, against some challenges.
IYANU: Nigerian Superhero Animated Series Set for U.S. and Pan-African Launch in 2025
Set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, the story follows an orphan who must uncover the mystery behind her newfound power to save her people from an ancient curse.
DRIFT: Cynthia Erivo’s Mindful Melodrama Tackles Divisive Discourse Around Refugee Crisis
Cynthia Erivo stars in this carefully-observed film that centralizes a displaced and disaffected woman’s plight in a foreign land.
Disney+ Will Release Acclaimed Doc MADU – Story of a Nigerian Ballet Dancer Who Went Viral (Trailer)
The film follows Madu’s journey from Lagos to the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in the UK, exploring themes of discovery, growth, belonging, and acceptance.