‘Love & Seclusion’, Written by Clementina Ojie, Produced by Josh Olaoluwa and Directed by Orire Nwani, Wins the 2023 New York City Women’s Fund

Love & Seclusion has been announced as an award recipient by the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre, as one of the 4 feature films in this year’s fiction category and the only African project awarded in the fiction feature category. 

Josh Olaoluwa’s Filmmaker Grit in the Glitz and Glamour of an Ever-Expanding Nollywood

Directed by the fast-rising Orire Nwani, and produced by Josh Olaoluwa, Love & Seclusion stars Efa Iwara and Tope Olowoniyan in leading roles, with Inem King, Olanrewaju Ayanwale, Jaybo Charles, Anthonia Okojie and Odiah Emmanuel in supporting roles. 

Set during the pandemic, the film follows the life of a young Lagos wife Tola (Tope Olowoniyan) who is desperate to take advantage of quarantine and conceive her first child. Unbeknownst to her, her husband has no intentions of having children. 

On receiving one of the grants, writer and executive producer, Clementina Ojie said, “I’m thrilled and humbled to be named a recipient of the 2023 NYC Women’s Fund. Not only is it an honor to be among the talented women creators and artists awarded the finishing grant, but I’m also thankful to the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for believing in me and helping me complete this project.” 

The finishing grant facilitated by the New York Foundation for the Arts is aimed at providing support for the film’s post-production, and a New York premiere in early 2024.

The cinematography of Love & Seclusion was helmed by Adebowale Raji and Roberta Orioma credited as line producer. 

NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre is a groundbreaking initiative by the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) to address the underrepresentation of women and women-identifying artists in film, television, theatre, and music.