Nigerian filmmakers, director Dipo Abdul Osiyemi and producer Oge Obasi, have been selected to participate in the Pitch and Finance Forum of the 2025 Durban FilmMart, taking place from 18 to 21 July in Durban, South Africa. Their project, Bupya (Renewed), is among 31 projects chosen from across 15 African countries.
Now in its 16th edition, the Durban FilmMart is Africa’s premier co-production and finance market. This year’s event, themed “Bridges Not Borders: Stories that Unite,” will spotlight projects that transcend geographic and cultural divides to tell powerful African stories.
Director Dipo Abdul Osiyemi, expected to be joined by Ugandan director Claire S. Birungi on the project, brings over two decades of experience across film, television, advertising, and live events, known for his short film Deluded (2014) and series like 24-Seven and Cross Country. His multidisciplinary expertise spans cinematography, editing and VFX.
Producer Oge Obasi, currently based in Rwanda, is best known for the critically acclaimed Mami Wata, which premiered in competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, making it the first film by a Nigerian-based filmmaker to achieve that milestone. Developed through a number of international labs and markets, including Ouaga Film Lab, EAVE Producers, and the Durban FilmMart itself, Mami Wata was directed by her frequent collaborator C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi.
Bupya (Renewed) marks one of the rare projects Oge is developing outside of the C.J. Obasi creative orbit since Apostates by James Omokwe in the early 2010s.
Speaking on this year’s selections, DFMI Director Magdalene Reddy remarked, “Given the remarkable success of our DFM alumni in recent years—with projects premiering at major international festivals and securing global distribution—I’m confident this cohort will follow a similar trajectory of recognition and impact. These stories not only connect different regions of Africa but also reach out to our diaspora and Global South communities, embodying our theme of building bridges through cinema.”
The Pitch and Finance Forum will provide Bupya (Renewed) with an opportunity to connect with financiers, broadcasters, sales agents, and festival programmers.
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Update (01/05/2025): The name of the previously unnamed Ugandan director has been added.
