This September, two new films led by figures who made their names in the Nigerian content creator space will make their way from social media skits to producing and starring in their own film projects.
Akinyoola Ayoola (Kamo State) is set to make his cinema debut with Star Lomo, while Abiri Tobi Folagade (Mama Deola) will lead A Mama Deola Wedding Story, extending his popular social media character into a feature-length production on Kava.
Star Lomo opens in Nigerian cinemas on September 25, with Kayode Kasum directing. Produced by and starring Kamo State alongside Funke Akindele, Odunlade Adekola and KieKie, the film follows a man’s fight to survive and keep his dreams alive in the unforgiving environment of Lagos.
Before taking the lead in his own cinema film, Kamo appeared in Everybody Loves Jenifa and went on to feature in films including Behind the Scenes, Gingerrr and Adunni: Ogidan Binrin. He typically featured in supporting and ensemble roles across those films.
Folagade is following a similar path with A Mama Deola Wedding Story, written by Brookes Eti-Inyene, which premiered exclusively on Kava as the streamer’s first original on September 3. Directed by Femi Adebayo, the film stars Folagade as Mama Deola and also boasts names like Omowunmi Dada, Rotimi Salami, Shaffy Bello, Bukky Wright, Erica Nlewedim, Toyin Adegbola, Akin Lewis, and Idowu Phillips aka Iya Rainbow. Banks serves as producer and executive producer on the project.
A Mama Deola Wedding Story is said to be the first instalment in a planned Mama Deola movie franchise. The family drama follows a fierce, fiercely determined matriarch who goes to extreme lengths to fund her son Femi’s dream wedding to his bride, Demilade. One of its major set pieces is a wedding sequence that Banks said featured over 600 cast and was shot for 20 hours straight.
The choice to move into his own feature comes after years of pursuing acting before finding a wider audience through content creation. In a recent interview, Folagade recalled attending auditions and travelling several hours to movie locations, sometimes without appearing in a scene. He eventually turned to content creation, with the Mama Deola character becoming his breakthrough across nostalgic scenarios which quickly caught on with audiences.
Folagade Banks had already appeared on screen before Mama Deola became his defining character, with credits including The Eve and the Africa Magic series Okoto. He is also set to star in Rixel’s Black Market.
Kamo State and Mama Deola’s September releases arrive notably with FilmOne’s backing on both: as distributor for Star Lomo and co-founding company of Kava, where A Mama Deola Wedding Story will be available.
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