Osamede has won Best Narrative Feature at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival, taking top honours for a fantasy film that draws its power from the documented history of the Benin Kingdom.
The win recognises a film that proves African history offers rich foundations for epic fantasy storytelling. Set around the 1897 British invasion, Osamede follows a young woman who discovers ancestral powers, building its fantasy narrative on the actual governance systems, spiritual practices, and cultural power of the Benin Kingdom.
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“We built our fantasy world on the foundation of real cultural power,” said writer Lolo Eremie. “Benin Kingdom’s bronze workers, governance systems, and spiritual practices are as compelling as any mythology. Our history gives us everything we need to create epic narratives. The diaspora response tells us they’ve been ready for stories that trust that foundation.”
The Silicon Valley African Film Festival, held annually at the Historic Hoover Theater in San Jose, showcases films from over 30 countries across Africa and its diaspora. Operating under the theme “Africa through the African lens,” the festival selected Osamede from dozens of submissions, recognising both its creative ambition and cultural grounding.
Director James Omokwe explained how the approach shaped the filmmaking process. “We weren’t layering African elements onto a generic fantasy template,” Omokwe said. “From the first script draft to the final frame, Benin Kingdom’s actual power structures, spiritual systems, and artistic traditions became our blueprint. That specificity is what audiences connect with. They can feel the difference between borrowed aesthetics and lived cultural knowledge.”
Production designer Uchechukwu Nwaohiri brought the vision to life through sets that honoured historical accuracy while serving the fantasy narrative. The physical spaces drew directly from documented Benin Kingdom architecture and spatial design, creating a visual world that felt both authentic and epic in scale.
The production involved extensive consultation with Benin Kingdom historians throughout development. The goal was not documentary accuracy but ensuring the fantasy world respected and drew strength from the cultural foundations it built upon.
Executive Producer Lilian Olubi proved commercial viability through twelve stage productions before financing the film. “The question was whether we had the confidence to build fantasy from our own cultural foundations,” Olubi said. “We trusted that Benin Kingdom’s history could sustain epic storytelling. This award confirms the diaspora has been waiting for exactly that. They want African fantasy that feels authentically rooted, not borrowed.”
The win comes as Osamede continues its theatrical run in Nigerian cinemas following standing ovations at both the Benin City and Lagos premieres. The film was shot on location in Fugar and Ososo, Edo State, with a cast including Ivie Okujaye Egboh, William Benson, Tosin Adeyemi, Lexan Peters, and Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen.
Osamede‘s international journey began with selection for the Cannes Film Market in May 2025. Following the Silicon Valley win, the film has been selected for films from the South Festival in Oslo, Norway, running November 6-16, 2025.
The Silicon Valley recognition positions Osamede within a growing movement of African filmmakers creating fantasy narratives from their own cultural histories rather than imported frameworks. The diaspora’s appetite for such stories continues to grow, with audiences seeking content that reflects authentic African power structures, spiritual systems, and historical complexity.
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