Author: J.J. Bityong

2024 has proven to be a year of popular titles making comebacks, with the release of big projects like Ebonylife Studios’ Òlòtūré series, Omoni Oboli’s Wives on Strike: The Uprising, as well as, Funke Akindele’s groundbreaking Jenifa franchise, one that not only cemented Akindele’s status as a Nollywood icon but also launched the careers of many cast members. Over the course of three movies and a long-running TV show, fans and lovers of the Jenifa series (known as Jenifans) have grown deeply attached not only to the comical titular character but also to several of the show’s memorable side characters.…

Last year, Nigerian films graced several international film festivals. We were well-represented by Babatunde Apalowo’s All The Colours Of The World Are Between Black and White and CJ ‘Fiery’ Obasi’s Mami Wata, amongst other short films. Towards the end of the year, the book adaptation of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s Debut novel, I Do Not Come To You By Chance joined the fold and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). This was met with positive reactions from lovers of film and books, as the film also enjoyed a homecoming at AFRIFF. As exciting as having a Genevieve Nnaji-produced project…

Funke Akindele’s most iconic roles over the years An award-winning Nigerian film editor once tweeted, “Nollywood is a woman”, and I dare add that “Nollywood is a middle-aged woman.” This is due to the obvious fact that a huge part of its films is centered around female characters. Also, a sizeable number of executives, producers, and directors are women. They set and break box office records, constantly pushing boundaries in the industry. Funke Akindele, “Box Office Queen”, the biggest independent producer, is one leading figure. Aside from being a key film executive in Nollywood, the thespian with a career spanning…

Funke Akindele is widely known as Nollywood’s box office queen, but well do you know the filmmaker and her films? Participate in our latest quiz to find out. WKMUpQuiz: How Well Do You Know the Female Filmmakers in Nollywood? Iconic Funke Akindele Roles and Why We Love Them

Most times, skit makers in Nollywood films are there to reenact their social media personae for comic relief. However, these comical representations often fail to be satisfying. Even worse, these movies, with prominent skit makers or influencers, lose depth and authenticity in the process. Despite the mentioned issues, there are skit makers who have played roles that are in contrast to how we already know them. Skit makers like Josh2funny and Mr. Macaroni have been able to do that. Their commendable performances were possible with the efforts of directors and casting directors who saw beyond their social media personalities and did…

Let me begin with a personal story. I grew up in the Northern part of Nigeria, Kaduna to be precise. Although I am not Hausa, one of the languages of my childhood, as you might assume, is Hausa. Not only was the language spoken by people of Hausa descent, but it was also carefully spoken with ease by non-Hausa people and settlers in my immediate community. The Hausa language immersion aside, another important aspect of my childhood was watching Nollywood films. Although I was mostly forced to watch these films (such as Osuofia in London, Aki na Ukwa, Egg of…