Reviews
‘Alahun: The Weaver’ Review: Dare Olaitan’s Long-Awaited Epic Adventure Return Takes Too Long to Get Going
Dare Olaitan returns to the director’s chair with Alahun: The Weaver, a Yoruba epic adventure filled with spirits, mythical creatures, and an unlikely hero at its centre. The film asks many questions, such as what the measure of a true hero is, and how love can transcend societal limitations.
Locarno Open Doors 2026 Review: ‘Concrete Moves’, ‘Time to Change’, ‘sKINs’, ‘Submergido’ and ‘Goat’
The following five short films screened as part of the 2026 Locarno Open Doors, taking place from August 5-10, 2026. The five directors were also invited to take part in the Open Doors Directors programme. […]
Short Film Review: Adebayo Oduwole’s ‘When Tari Met Voke’ Makes a Familiar Meet-Cute Feel Alive
Few things are better than a romantic comedy that keeps both of its promises. Very few things. (A plate of smoky party jollof, perhaps.) I suspect this, among other reasons, is behind the runaway success […]
‘Remi and Nneoma’ Review: A Nollywood Biblical Retelling Too Devoted to Become Its Own Story
The Bible, like any other text, exists to be adapted and retold. Its stories are constantly updated for language and context. The King James Version for the purists who want little lost, The New International […]
‘On Different Grounds’ Review: Nollywood Veterans Elevate Mildred Okwo’s Uneven Romantic Comedy
A Nigerian wedding party, as much as it is a celebration, is often a power play. A place where influence is tested, alliances are forged and a pecking order is established. There is a clashing […]
‘Blood Sisters’ Season 2 Review: EbonyLife’s Netflix Thriller Expands Its World of Excess, for Better and Worse
In a rare Nigerian series continuation on Netflix, Blood Sisters returns four years after its first season in 2022, picking up directly from the Ademola family shooting. While Uncle B (Ramsey Nouah) dies from the […]
‘MKO’ Review: Ose Oyamendan Revisits the Wound of June 12 and Nigeria’s Greatest Political What-If (Sheffield DocFest 2026)
Hope, they say, is a very, very stubborn thing. It survives military coups. It survives broken promises. It survives politicians campaigning the language of change and turning around to enforce the language of power just […]
‘Call Of My Life’ Review: Uzoamaka Power Dials into the Nigerian Romcom Canon with Heart and Familiarity
The definition of a romcom is a well-documented and defined concept, parameters are often rigid and the story must follow a formula: hot boy plus beautiful girl plus almost fantastical meeting equals forever after. Dammy […]
News
First Look: Pamilerin Ayodeji Leads Africa No Filter-Backed Nigerian Coming-of-Age Film ‘Madam Flow’ (EXCLUSIVE)
What Kept Me Up can exclusively reveal a first look at Madam Flow, a new Nigerian coming-of-age film from Kinsman Studios led by Pamilerin Ayodeji. Set in a conservative Nigerian boarding school, Madam Flow follows […]
Nollywood Distilled: The Stories That Mattered This Week
This week on Nollywood Distilled, year-end release plans came into sharper focus across streaming and cinemas, while AFRIFF unveiled more of its 2026 programme, Nigerian projects picked up five awards at Durban FilmMart, and Agbara […]
AFRIFF 2026 Names ‘Lady’ Opening Film, Adds Paid Ticketing and New Award Category
As selected filmmakers have been sharing announcements on social media since last week, the first details of this year’s AFRIFF have now been officially confirmed. Set to open the 15th edition of the festival is […]
Cheyi Okoaye’s ‘Cause, Effect & Maybe Consequences?’ Among Nigerian Winners at Durban FilmMart 2026
Three Nigerian in-development projects, The Boy Who Spoke Static, Pülö: Bloodstream of the Kirike and Cause, Effect & Maybe Consequences?, received awards as the 17th Durban FilmMart ended in South Africa on Monday, October 12. […]
EyiyemiOlivia Rogbinyin Takes Lead in Don Ekama’s ‘Secondhand’
EyiyemiOlivia Rogbinyin takes centre stage as a woman attempting to walk away from her marriage in Secondhand, a new film from writer-director Don Ekama that has wrapped principal photography in Lagos. Produced by Myde Glover, […]
Korede Azeez and Hajarat Alli’s ‘Daddy Bear’ Unveils First Look, Sets November Community Screenings (EXCLUSIVE)
EXCLUSIVE: Cardinal Productions has released the first-look images from Daddy Bear as the family drama moves through post-production ahead of planned community screenings in Abuja and Lagos beginning across November and December. The update follows […]
Nollywood Distilled: The Stories That Mattered This Week
This week on Nollywood Distilled, the industry moved on several fronts. Nigeria picked its Oscar submission, new film infrastructure opened in Lagos and London, Agbara Nla: The Return delivered a major box-office opening, and new […]
Christian Faith International Film Festival Nigeria Launches, Announces Inaugural Jury
Nigeria’s end-of-year festival calendar is getting another addition, and this one is bringing Christian cinema to the fore. Founded by filmmaker Moses Ipadeola (Ekun Iyawo), who serves as festival director, the Christian Faith International Film […]
Essays
BBNaija, MasterChef and Nigeria’s Long Relationship with Foreign Unscripted Television
For the better part of two decades, Nigerian television has been significantly shaped by unscripted formats that originated abroad. Some became institutions. Others disappeared quietly. Most recently, MasterChef Nigeria concluded its debut season in mid-July, […]
Kenyan-Nigerian Film ‘One Woman One Bra’ Wins 2025 Sutherland Award at BFI London Film Festival
Kenyan-Nigerian co-production One Woman One Bra has clinched the 2025 Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the BFI London Film Festival, which concluded on 19 October. The Jury members of Kibwe Tavares, Anja Fröhner […]
Judith Audu and Uyoyou Adia Reunite on New Afrobeats Drama ‘EVI’, Eyeing 2026 Release
The list of frequent collaborators in Nollywood continues to grow as more filmmakers find creative partners they trust. Among the latest additions to frequent director-producer collaborators are Judith Audu and Uyoyou Adia. They return on […]
BFI London Film Festival 2025: ‘One Woman One Bra’ Review
BFI: Vincho Nchogu‘s debut feature One Woman One Bra is a sardonic examination of intersecting failures that ensnare vulnerable women in rural Africa: archaic patriarchal systems, predatory NGO culture, and the performative benevolence of white […]
AMAA 2025 Nominations: ‘Lisabi’, ‘3 Cold Dishes’, ‘Freedom Way’ Lead The Line for Nigeria
In a surprise event on October 11 in Lagos, the nominations for this year’s Africa Movie Academy Awards were announced to an audience of some press members and several industry veterans. Notably, there are quite […]
10 Key Details About ‘Osamede’, the Edo Epic Arriving October 2025
Gold Lilies Productions’ upcoming historical epic Osamede arrives in Nigerian cinemas on October 17, 2025. Directed by James Omokwe, the film brings the legendary Benin Kingdom to the big screen with a heroine (played by […]
