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
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, […]
‘The Lost Days’, The 9th Film From The First Features Slate Explores The Themes Of Family And Forgiveness
Nollywood gets a new family drama this July with The Lost Days, premiering exclusively on Prime Video on July 11, 2025. The film marks the ninth release under the First Features Project, continuing the initiative’s […]
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 […]
‘The Stand Up’ Review: Exasperatingly Long, Occasionally Funny
The Stand Up, directed by Jide Oyegbile, is a story about a young man’s journey from Warri to becoming a top standup comedian in Lagos against the backdrop of the wild crime scene of both […]
‘Awaiting Trial’ Review: Nigeria is Tiring in Poignant Documentary, a Chude Jideonwo Presents Debut
“I regret being a Nigerian,” says Chidiebere Nnanna. Who can blame him; he is one of the 50,000 people who have been remanded in prison unjustly without any charge. Chidiebere in particular was kept in […]
Our 10 Best Nollywood Movies of 2022
Looking back at the year, from December 2021 up until November 2022, Nollywood has treated us all once again to a special year. From a Northern-set film that not many people got to see during […]
‘ATOKA’ First Look Images and Posters: Indie Coming of Age Drama Based on an Original Story by Seun Afolabi
Seun Afolabi (Yawa: Aja Colonel) has dropped first look images and posters for ATOKA, his coming-of-age drama based on an original story. The film will head on a festival run starting in January 2023, before […]
From Expansive Experiences and Genetic Roots to their Influence on Storytelling, Michael Omonua Gives Insight on Missing Pieces in Nollywood
There is a small café on the left-hand side of the fairly ordinary Palms Shopping Mall in Lekki. The jazz music is unremarkable and never quite at the right volume to be appreciated or ignored. […]
