Nigeria’s presence at the 31st New York African Film Festival is quite packed, with a lineup featuring fictional narratives and documentaries by Nigerian filmmakers and even about Nigerian characters.
Kicking off the festival is the North American premiere of Over the Bridge directed by Tolu Ajayi. Set in Lagos, the lauded film offers a narrative that delves into themes of identity and self-discovery. In the film, we follow Folarin (played by Ozzy Agu), a successful investment banker whose company is contracted by the government to oversee a high-profile project, as he searches for answers when the project goes awry, which leads him to a remote fishing village to put the pieces of the mystery together.
But the Nigerian influence doesn’t stop there. Another Nigerian-themed standout is the closing film Dilli Dark, helmed by Dibakar Das Roy, which explores the trials of a Nigerian MBA student in the vibrant yet complex city of Delhi, India. Nigerian actor Samuel Abiola Robinson (Green White Green) plays Michael Okeke, a Nigerian living in New Delhi who wants to get his MBA and settle in India. But his part-time job as a drug dealer will jeopardize his plans, not to mention the open racism he is facing.
In Uche Aguh’s Dynamite, Ifeoma Nkiruka Chukwuogo stars as Kiki, a songstress managed by her controlling and strong-willed husband Mark, who is set to release her latest album when a replacement bassist, Kofi, comes in for a rehearsal with Kiki and her band. Sparks immediately fly, and Kiki is forced to make a difficult decision when she finds herself thrust into this new love affair.
Other Nigerian titles set to premiere at the festival include (complete lineup):
Kenneth Gyang’s This is Lagos: a dark comedy about Stevo, a musician, and his smart city girl who must navigate the dangers of his criminal past while pursuing his music dreams.
Dika Ofoma’s A Quiet Monday: When the leader of a secessionist group in southeastern Nigeria is jailed, his loyalists mandate a compulsory “sit-at-home” on Mondays in protest. Siblings Kamnonu and Ogbonna face danger when they defy the Monday restrictions.
Umar Turaki’s Bege (Yearning): It explores the oft-unspoken emotional toll that comes about when love falls out of bounds for medical reasons, and examines what happens when the body betrays the heart.
Dolapo Marinho’s Wèrè: A homeless woman relies on the kindness of a stranger to survive. When her lifeline disappears, she is forced to ensure her own survival in a perilous city with devastating consequences.
Oyiza Adaba’s DELA: The Making of El Anatsui: A biographical documentary delving into the life of an extraordinary artist, El Anatsui, the world-renowned sculptor from Ghana.
The 31st New York African Film Festival will take place from May 8 to 14.
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