Reviews
‘What No One Knows’ Review: The Cost of Forgetting Women in a Nigerian Female Friendship Tale
A bond that has existed across time and media, strengthened by adversity and a world that is often against their existence, is female friendship. This forms the core of What No One Knows. The dynamic […]
Encounters 2025: ‘Mothers of Chibok’ Review
It can be daunting trying to follow every bit of news in the wake of a tragedy. It can be downright Herculean trying to separate legitimate information from baseless sentiment, or worse, rumours and propaganda. […]
‘Ms Kanyin’ Review: Bloody Spiral of Teenage Recklessness Fails to Meld the Horror of the Madam Koi Koi Lore
The lore of Madam Koi Koi is an ever mutating one. First gaining root in minds during secondary school, the story evolves in detail with every telling. Sometimes she is a woman murdered by students, […]
‘Red Circle’ Review: A Concept, A Dream, An Ideal That Even The Thriller Doesn’t Demystify
When you build mystery in a film, there is an important balance between drawing in your audience with questions and never showing your hand too early. You navigate with the cinematic equivalent of a poker […]
‘My Mother is a Witch’ Review: Mercy Aigbe and Efe Irele Rise to the Occasion in a Familial Negotiation of Trauma And Healing
“You’re a witch!” Imuetiyan, the film’s protagonist, blurts out during an emotionally charged argument with her mother (Mercy Aigbe). Unfazed by this accusation, her mother responds wryly that she is indeed a witch and she […]
‘Suky’ Review: The Loud Silence of Ola Cardoso’s Debut
Suky opens in a boxing ring, where Adigun (Tobi Bakre) is instructing a group of young fighters with the assured discipline of a man who has survived too much and seen too little change. Among […]
‘Ori Rebirth’ Review: Uneasy Lies the Head With a Stronger Inner Head
Ori Rebirth, a reboot of the beloved Ori (2004), brings back Muyiwa Ademola as Bisade in an ambitious outing that painfully untethers itself from the Yoruba classic in crucial spots. With its reflective meditation on […]
NYAFF 2025: ‘The Fisherman’ Review
There is a tug of war, a push and pull like the tide of an ocean, that exists at the centre of The Fisherman, the feature debut by Zoey Martinson. It swings between youth and […]
News
JJC Skillz Makes Solo Theatrical Return with Action Thriller ‘Hakeem Seeking Justice’, Five Years After ‘Omo Ghetto’
JJC Skillz, real name Abdulrasheed Bello, will return with Hakeem Seeking Justice, his first theatrical release since his work on Omo Ghetto: The Saga in 2020. The new movie, also known simply as Seeking Justice, […]
Filmmaking Labs, Grants & Funding Opportunities Currently Open To African Filmmakers
Whenever we can, What Kept Me Up will highlight credible grants, workshops, funds, etc that african filmmakers can tap into. Filmmaking as a process, not forgetting the business aspects, can be daunting, and as many […]
‘The Odds’ Are With Nollywood as Loup Garou in Collaboration with Kids Against Cubicles Screen Their Betting-Themed Dramedy
Music creatives coming into the Nollywood space is a propaganda we will always fall for. These creatives have a knack for creating stunning pictures with an expressive style that fits the quality of production on […]
Ema Edosio’s ‘When Nigeria Happens’ to Open Locarno 2025’s Open Doors Section
The 2025 Locarno Film Festival will kick off its Open Doors section with the world premiere of When Nigeria Happens, directed by Nigerian filmmaker Ema Edosio. The film, which has had private screenings in Nigeria, […]
The Shrinking Presence of Nollywood on Netflix in 2025, So Far
With the streaming slowdown, more films have made their way into cinemas, but we’ve intentionally watched fewer of them as a form of quality control and resource management. Also, much has been said about the […]
What Happened in Nollywood in June, as Discussed by Nollywood Film Club
In a short open-session episode filled with rants and bants, Nollywood Film Club tabled various industry events in an unfiltered conversation. In June, they also discussed Yemi Morafa’s 3-part whodunnit series The Party, Taiwo Egunjobi’s […]
Zikoko Brings Its Widely-Read Serials to Life in New Anthology Series Produced by Bluhouse Studios
Popular Zikoko serials Naira Life, Love Life, and Sex Life are taking an on-screen adapted form in an anthology film series, Zikoko Life, created by Anita E. Eboigbe and produced by Blessing Uzzi. Big Cabal […]
With ‘Ms. Kanyin’, Nemsia is Collecting Diverse Nigerian Movie Genres Like Infinity Stones
There’s no gravity for the minds of the people at Nemsia Studios as the release of Ms. Kanyin continues their current run of producing films across a range of genres. Their latest offering, Ms. Kanyin, […]
Essays
The Shrinking Presence of Nollywood on Netflix in 2025, So Far
With the streaming slowdown, more films have made their way into cinemas, but we’ve intentionally watched fewer of them as a form of quality control and resource management. Also, much has been said about the […]
Moshood Fattah on His ‘Far From Home’ and ‘Battle on Buka Street’ Experience, Stage Acting Background and Directing Aspirations
EXCLUSIVE: Moshood Fattah stole hearts in Netflix’s Far From Home (FFH) series, where he plays Michael, financial and advisory support to our lead Ishaya. A lot of Nigerian viewers have expressed how impressed they were […]
A ‘Dark October’ Essay: Linda Ikeji and the Mob
According to SBM, there have been 391 mob killings in Nigeria since 2019. In May 2022, a young lady, Deborah Yakubu, was stoned to death and then immolated in Northern Nigeria. And as recently as […]
‘Tainted Canvas’ Review: Segilola Ogidan’s Family Drama Has an Important Message But Fumbles In Its Thematic Execution
The day before I saw Tainted Canvas, I settled down to watch Babylon (2022), the latest outing from Damien Chazelle, known for La La Land (2017) and Whiplash (2014). I say ‘settled down’ because at […]
‘Before Valentine’s’ Review: Relatable But Plastic Romcom that is just Tolerable for the Season
It’s that season again when we are assaulted with the bloody colours of love, the relentless oppression by those showing off their emotional euphoria; the season most choose to express how they feel about their […]
Africa’s First Web3 Film, ‘Small Town Burnouts’, Launches Crowdfunding, Taps Barny Emordi as DOP
Small Town Burnouts is set to be Nigeria’s first web3 film project, produced by Romi Studios, currently undergoing crowdfunding on Web3 through NFTs. The crowdfund will have holders acquiring an NFT which gives them a […]
