From the film market to the awards night, Eva Anya recounts the conversations and chance encounters that yielded new details on upcoming Nigerian films, distribution plans and projects in development.
I can’t say I went into AFRIFF 2026 with a clear plan as to how to connect with filmmakers, industry professionals and their films. I mean, we at What Kept Me Up had a concrete strategy on how we would cover the festival but personally, I really just wanted to be in the midst of film and film discussions. One of the ways I intended this was by being a wallflower and trust me when I say I got the perks.
The day is Sunday November 1, we’re heading to the Royal Box, VI venue for opening night. Panicking that I was running late but also rest assured that African time will be observed as is expected in most industry events, and shockingly *cue sarcasm* We were early. Early because we weren’t covering the red carpet, else I would have been exceptionally late.
We spent most of the evening observing, making introductions and reconnecting with people. I met Joshua Tsotso, the creative director of Chinazaekpere Chukwu’s Her Daughters’ Mother and the Ghanaian film Zjili; Ifeyinwa Arinze, director of Breastmilk, which screened at this year’s Lights, Camera, Action Festival, one of the first film festival events of the Lagos art season.
They were brief encounters, but they gave us a few familiar faces to look out for as the festival progressed. What followed over the next few days was a series of conversations that offered more than the usual festival catch-ups. Filmmakers and producers shared previously unannounced developments about their projects, from new distribution arrangements and productions moving forward to plans for upcoming releases.
At the Market: A Chance Encounter with Baggyland Productions
Our first full day of festival activities on Monday saw us at the Film and Content Market. We attended the first panel, took in the market space and began looking around for people we recognised.
At some point, I spotted Praise Adejo, a familiar face from Dear Dija, standing beside someone who was unfamiliar to me. I walked up to them, introduced myself and, after noticing the name on their accreditation tags, asked about Baggyland Productions.
The man beside her was Mohammed Oloko, the company’s founder. He explained that Baggyland was a new 360 company spanning production and talent management, with Praise as its star talent. They had come to the market to network and get a feel of how the industry space worked. They were first-timers at a market of this kind and wanted to learn as much as they could from the experience.
It was a short conversation, but I was curious about what they were building. We exchanged contacts and arranged to have a proper sit down (more like a stand up) the following day. During the conversation, they confirmed Baggyland’s commitment to making more young adult projects amongst other things they can’t share yet.
That was one of the things about the market. You could arrive looking for one person and end up finding a story somewhere else. You just had to be willing to walk up to people (very un-wallflower-like).
Lotanna Nwose and the Journey of Adanne
My conversation with Lotanna Nwose, producer of Adanne, was a chance to catch up on a film whose journey we had followed from the beginning. Our connection with the team dates back to pre-production, when Melon House Production was preparing its debut feature and wanted to understand how best to position the film. We stayed in touch through production, spent a day on set in Ibadan and were in contact during post-production.
Lotanna was in high spirits when we spoke. The film’s AFRIFF screening filled two halls with an overflowing crowd, and he was pleased with the audience response. Before AFRIFF, Adanne received a Special Jury Mention at AAIFF Africa in Kigali, while director Orobosa Ikponmwen was nominated for Best Director at Women of the Lens Film Festival in London.
Written and produced by Gold Gerry, and co-produced by Lotanna, Adanne is a 92-minute drama about three generations of Igbo women led by Onyinye Odokoro. Its AFRIFF journey ended on another high note when it won the Audience Choice Award. It is currently being repped by Trino for distribution.
Dolly Nwaduba: From Pitching to Goes to Cannes to Facilitating Producers Lab
Dolly Nwaduba was on our list well before AFRIFF. We hoped to speak with her for an article looking back at the first edition of AFCM, especially as she was one of the producers selected for the Goes to Cannes programme. Scheduling the conversation before the festival was futile, so we eventually caught up during AFRIFF, where she was facilitating the Producers Lab.
Success Kaminus, the market coordinator, helped make the introduction and warned me not to lose sight of Dolly, in case another commitment took her away.
When we finally spoke, Dolly reflected on how much the previous edition of AFCM meant to her. She attended as a producer trying to pitch her project, Achalugo. Fast forward to this year, and the project had been selected for Goes to Cannes, where it secured coproduction partnerships, postproduction agreements with a South African company, and a distribution deal with a French company whose identity remains undisclosed.
Produced by DSP Studios, Achalugo follows Prince Ikenna, who returns to his kingdom with his Caucasian wife and mixed-race children, unsettling his traditional father, the King. As a 15th-century legend surrounding Queen Onwa resurfaces, long-hidden family secrets threaten to disrupt the kingdom’s traditions, forcing a confrontation between heritage and change.
In a new development shared with WKMUp, Nwaduba confirmed that Achalugo has since moved into production, with Rita Dominic attached to star as lead. Uzor Arukwe, Pete Edochie, Ebele Okaro, and Femi Branch are also expected to star, with Daniel Oriahi directing, and Chioma Ude as co-producer.
The filmmaker, who had her first theatrical release this year with A Spark in The Dark, spoke about why producers should take festivals and markets seriously, citing her experience of how AFCM helped move her project forward.
Catching up with Olive Nwosu
A brief greeting and picture session with Olive Nwosu on opening night launched a longer conversation at the film market. While waiting for her to finish a meeting, there was time to catch up with Christianah Olapoju, a production coordinator, discussing industry matters and potential projects in the works. When Olive was free, we spoke about Lady, its homecoming to Nigeria and her plans for future projects.
During our conversation, Nwosu confirmed to WKMUp that FilmOne would handle the film’s Nigerian theatrical distribution, with a release currently planned for March 2027. She also spoke about projects in development, some based in Nigeria and others abroad, with involvement from BBC Film, Film4 and House Productions in the UK. She is still considering the Nigerian production side for these upcoming projects and remains open to working with Emperium Films, the production company she previously worked with on Lady.
A Session with Founders of Infrastructural Companies
In one of my numerous walks around the market, I came across Olukanmi Abayomi, founder of Abazee Productions, whose booth at the market was set right opposite Nolli Stream, a newly launched streaming platform. The conversation with Abazee touched on equipment rentals, personnel and productions. As one of Nigeria’s major equipment rental companies, Abazee is involved in a part of filmmaking we rarely get to see. We spoke about how the rental process works, what filmmakers need to consider when procuring equipment and some of the realities of sourcing gear for a production. He confirmed his collaboration with Iyabo Ojo for her 2027 project Ms. Bambooki.
Dr. Olu, founder of NolliStream, had a different story to tell. The streaming platform launched about six months ago with a no-subscription, no-paywall model with plans for ads. For now, viewers simply sign up and watch. He also shared news of the streamer’s first original feature, Blood & Secrets, starring Ego Iheanacho, Casey Edema, Tersy Akpata and David Eyo, scheduled to premiere on November 18.
A Familiar Face and Voice at the Awards Night
At the awards ceremony, Grace Yakubu was seated beside me. Hearing her speak, I kept thinking her voice sounded familiar. We had spoken at the 2025 AFRIFF, but I couldn’t immediately place her. So I found a way to ask her name. The moment she said Grace Yakubu, it clicked: the director of Aljana, a Hausa-language film set in Northern Nigeria that was nominated for Best Feature and won Richard Bamgbaye Best Actor at AFRIFF 2025.
We spoke briefly about the film and what the team has in store for it. Yakubu shared that Aljana, which received three nominations at the 2026 AMVCA, is gradually inching closer to release, with Trino representing the film for distribution. The team is working on something new that we can’t share just yet. When the time comes, there will be more to tell.
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