There’s no gravity for the minds of the people at Nemsia Studios as the release of Ms. Kanyin continues their current run of producing films across a range of genres.
Their latest offering, Ms. Kanyin, directed by Jerry Ossai, is a supernatural thriller set in a boarding school, drawing inspiration from the Madam Koi Koi folklore.
The film follows a group of students who break a long-standing school rule, triggering the awakening of an ancient evil spirit. Anchored around the character Amara, played by Temi Otedola (Citation), the cast includes Michelle Dede (With Difficulty Comes Ease), Kanaga Jr. (Ajosepo), Natse Jemide (Far From Home), Queen Damilola, Demola Adedoyin (Breath of Life), Kalu Ikeagwu (A Lagos Love Story). The trailer presents a chilling tone and positions the film as a new entry into Nollywood’s supernatural films with inspiration from the lore.
Since its founding in 2013 by Derin Adeyokunnu and BB Sasore, the company has developed diverse genres of projects in Nollywood. One of its most prominent titles, Breath of Life (2023), is a drama with romantic undertones that tells the story of a reclusive clergyman whose life is transformed by a young man. The film was part of Nemsia’s three-picture deal with Prime Video and received critical acclaim, winning Best Movie at the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.
In 2024, With Difficulty Comes Ease, a drama written and directed by Korede Azeez, caught and held audience’s attention with its subtle handling of personal loss, religious identity, and resilience. The same year also saw the release of Holmes Awa’s multi-country romantic Soft Love (a co-production with Holmes Productions) and Taiwo Egunjobi’s period thriller A Green Fever (co-produced with Sable Productions).
Expanding beyond drama, Nemsia ventured into action with the 2025 release of Suky, directed by Ola Cardoso in his directorial feature debut —a film that centres on underground Dambe boxing in southwestern Nigeria. The film portrays a former fighter’s journey through personal trauma and redemption in a high-stakes combat world. Also released in June 2025 in the thriller genre is Taiwo Egunjobi’s The Fire and The Moth (also co-produced by Sable) which features a distinct location and atmosphere that complements its Afro-Western feel.
While titles like Breath of Life and With Difficulty Comes Ease (Best Film, Director and a Best Performance win for Uzoamaka Power at the 2024 What Kept Me Up Critics Poll), a larger number of titles produced by the studio have been well received by the audience and have gotten mixed reviews from critics.
In its early days, Nemsia gained recognition for its television series Before 30 (2015), which explored the lives of four Nigerian women navigating societal pressure to marry before the age of 30. The series addressed themes of love, friendship, and gender expectations, and a follow-up film titled After 30 (directed by debutant Momo Spaine) arrived in May 2025.
The studio’s past productions also include Banana Island Ghost (2017) and God Calling (2018), films with comedy, fantasy, and spiritual themes, showing Nemsia’s early interest in mixing genres.
With Ms. Kanyin, Nemsia adds a supernatural thriller to its expanding slate, as they continue with genre experimentation and quiet backing of young directors.
Ms. Kanyin premiered on Prime Video on June 27.
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