Producer Orire Nwani and writer Tomi Folowosele have been named among the 16 creatives selected for the 2025 edition of the Red Sea Series Lab, an international television development program presented by the Red Sea Film Foundation in collaboration with Film Independent.
Their new series, Till Death Do Us Part, a supernatural psychological thriller steeped in Nigerian culture and mythology, now enters a key stage where their ideas will be designed to elevate the original story into globally pitch-ready TV series.
The Red Sea Series Lab is not just another residency but a launchpad for emerging storytellers seeking global relevance and partnerships. Through a hybrid of virtual and in-person sessions, the three-part residency will be held between Los Angeles and Jeddah, where participants are immersed in collaborative writers’ rooms, intensive workshops, and mentorship from acclaimed U.S. showrunners. The final stage of the Lab will take place during the Red Sea International Film Festival in December, where projects will be pitched to top industry decision-makers at the Red Sea Souk.
For Nwani and Folowosele, this opportunity is a defining moment in a collaborative journey that has already delivered major results. The duo previously created Irora Iya (2022) and Kadara (2023), both 60-episode MNET Original Indigenous Series, and more recently, Tales of Ramadan (2024), which aired across multiple Nigerian TV stations and has been praised by fans for its cultural resonance.
Programs like the Red Sea Series Lab are crucial in providing underrepresented regions, like West Africa, with training grounds to develop their creativity and strengthen their filmmaking and storytelling skills.
Other Red Sea initiatives include The Lodge program, which spotlighted filmmakers like Vincho Nchogu and Josh Olaoluwa in 2023 and Cheta Chukwu in 2025.
