Reviews
‘Black Market’ Review: Fatimah Binta Gimsay’s Feature Debut is a Very Nigerian Film for a Very Nigerian Situation
September 26, 2026 gave Nigerian cinema two occasions to celebrate. The first was Nigerian Cinema Day, with audiences filling cinemas nationwide for a limited slate of films after FilmOne, the leading distributor, reportedly pulled out. […]
‘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 […]
News
Sabi Arts Launches Annual Nigerian Playwright Prize With 1.4 Million Naira in Collaboration with Ouida Lagos
Sabi Arts Limited has launched the Sabi Arts Playwright Prize, a new annual award for emerging Nigerian playwrights, with a prize pool of 1.4 million naira and opportunities for production, residency and publication. Open to […]
‘IDIA’ Earns Three AMAA Nominations as International Awards Recognition Continues
Golden Mhinutes Pictures‘ cultural horror thriller IDIA continues to build on its international award and festival run, earning three nominations at the prestigious Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), including Achievement in Soundtrack (Tolu Obanro) Achievement […]
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 New Award Category Ahead of 15th Edition
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 […]
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, […]
‘A Green Fever’ Director Taiwo Egunjobi Sets Next Project, ‘The Fire and The Moth’, a Crime Drama Now in Post Production
Taiwo Egunjobi has officially unveiled his next project, The Fire and The Moth, which has recently completed principal photography in Oyo state. The film marks the second co-production between Nemsia Studios and Sable Productions after […]
‘Muri and Ko’ Review: Comical Misadventures of an Unlikely Duo Loses Steam
Muri and Ko, the result of the latest collaboration between Biodun Stephen and Inkblot Studios, is a fairly exciting comedy thriller starring Kunle Remi as the titular Muri and child actor Fiyinfoluwa Asenuga as Cole. […]
An Analysis of Celestine Ukwu’s “Okwukwe na Nchekwube” and Eddie Okwedy’s “Happy Survival” in ‘Eyimofe’
Lately in Nollywood, deliberate soundtracking has taken the back seat in the filmmaking process, as if an afterthought. Rather than a composition that captures the mood of a scene, out-of-place trendy “Afrobeats” sounds are opted […]
Our Best Nollywood Films of 2024, So Far
It’s that time of year again! The moment we’ve all been waiting for with bated breath— when we look back at our film calendar from December 2023 to May 2024. In those months, Nollywood delivered […]
‘Momiwa’ Review: Biodun Stephen’s Family Drama Sprawled in Classic Nollywood Tropes
Biodun Stephen makes another intriguing directorial statement with her latest release, Momiwa. The director has developed a filmography known for portraying the ties of family and relationships. Her strength as a filmmaker in Momiwa shines […]
