Ìfé the Sequel has been chosen to have its world premiere at the 40th-anniversary BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival in March, with first screening scheduled for March 23 at BFI Southbank and a second screening on March 24.
The feature follows two women whose lives intersect again three years after a painful breakup. One has married a man, the other is planning to marry a woman, and when they meet by chance, they are forced to confront what they once had and what they might still feel for each other.
Executive-produced by The Equality Hub, Uzoamaka Power and Gbubemi Ejeye (Farmer’s Bride) star in lead roles, supported by performances from Ozzy Agu(Over the Bridge), Binta Ayo Mogaji (Mikolo), Adunolaoluwa Osilowo (The Smart Money Woman), and Najite Dede (The House of Secrets).
Ìfé the Sequel builds on the story of the original Ìfé short film. Released in 2020, the romantic short told the story of two Nigerian women, Ifé and Adaora, who fall in love during a three-day date. Directed and produced by Pamela Adie, the 38-minute short written by Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim faced significant challenges from Nigeria’s National Film and Video Censors Board, which opposed its themes under the country’s laws against same-sex relationships. To avoid censorship, the original Ìfé was released on online platforms and screened at international festivals.
Both Adie and Ikpe-Etim return to the feature in directing and writing capacities, with Oluseyi Asurf as the cinematographer. Adie described the film’s production as “an act of both love and resistance,” and said the premiere at BFI Flare’s 40th anniversary is a milestone not only for the team, but for Nigerian stories that remain underrepresented on major international platforms.
Other Nigerian and African titles in this year’s programme include the closing film, Sandulela Asanda’s South African film, Black Burns Fast and Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s Dreamers, which screened at Berlinale last year.
Previous Nigerian titles that have screened at BFI Flare include Wapah Ezeigwe’s Shall We Meet Tonight in 2025 and Olive Nwosu’s Egungun in 2021.
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