Reviews
‘Headless’ Review: A Meta-Thriller About Nollywood’s Inner Workings
Michael Ndiomu alludes to the concept of “cinema faces”—peculiar figures whose presence alone can summon footfall to the cinema—through the character Erastus Okpanachi in his feature directorial debut, Headless. As I sat in my empty […]
‘Love and New Notes’ Review: Kayode Kasum’s Part Horror, Part Romance, Part Drama, Part Heist, Part Comedy Film
Religions and cultures agree: desperation has a way of becoming spiritual. The woman who cannot bear a child, the man whose mind is poisoned by money; these are not just personal tragedies in Nigerian storytelling, […]
Berlinale 2026: Jeremy Comte’s ‘Paradise’ Review
Berlinale: It is in the final moments of Jeremy Comte’s first feature that he renders the moments giving the film its title, in lyrical realism. “…it burns,” our one-hand protagonist — far from his Quebec […]
Berlinale 2026: The Critics’ and Pietra Brettkelly’s ‘Crocodile’ Review (Documentary)
Berlinale: There was a time The Critics, more known as The Critics Company, wanted to make comedy skits but with a twist of VFX. They were hoping to create an alternative to the common slapstick […]
Berlinale 2026: Alain Gomis’ ‘Dao’ Review
Berlinale: Not to get too personal, I have family members across four continents. Over the past five years, we have had at least two weddings and a funeral to attend. Those are the only times […]
Berlinale 2026: Sandulela Asanda’s ‘Black Burns Fast’ Review
Berlinale: African films that are filled with joy at international film festivals are rare. That is why Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu’s Afrobubblegum movement is important as more attention turns towards African films. We need to […]
‘Alive Till Dawn’ Review: Nigeria’s Claimed First Zombie Apocalypse is Derivative, Politically Oblivious, and an Illusion of Innovation
The Nollywood horror genre has declined over the years. This can be attributed to a combination of moral and religious panic, alongside the industry’s formulaic mode of operation. Over time, Nollywood has found other formulas […]
Sundance 2026: Praise Odigie’s ‘Birdie’ Review (Short Film)
Sundance: In Birdie, Praise Odigie Paige evokes an ideal countryside with scenic shots of a home nestled in fields of green and a stream cutting through. There are no neighbours and it is isolated from […]
News
Showmax Originals Find a New Home on DStv Stream From April
The countdown to the end of Showmax as a standalone platform is now firmly underway. The bigger question is no longer whether it will shut down, but what becomes of its content. MultiChoice has now […]
FilmOne Teases Some New Filmmaking Voices to Expect in 2026
One of our key observations at the recent FilmOne Showcase is the range of new voices on the slate of films. They include five movies from filmmakers making either their directorial debut or theatrical debut […]
Nollywood’s Highest-Grossing Film ‘Behind The Scenes’ Heads to Netflix April 3
Behind the Scenes, the record-breaking blockbuster from Funke Akindele, is set to begin streaming on Netflix on April 3. The film dominated the box office during its theatrical run, grossing over ₦2.7 billion across West […]
Next Narrative Africa Fund Unveils First Slate, With Multiple West African Projects Among Inaugural Selections
The Next Narrative Africa Fund (NNAF), founded by media executive Akunna Cook, has unveiled the first nine film and television projects to receive development support from its $50 million content fund. Announced on March 12, […]
2025 Critics Poll: List of Participating Critics and How They Voted
We have broken down all of the individual votes that were counted as part of the 2025 What Kept Me Up Critics Poll. You can find the full list of this year’s results here. (Click […]
2025 Critics Poll: The Best Nigerian Films and Performances, According to 20 Nigerian Critics from Around the World
For the fourth edition of our Critics Poll, participating critics could select their top 5 films from a list of 88 released films across cinemas and streaming services (Prime Video, Showmax and Netflix most notably). […]
Showmax to Close as Canal+ Restructures MultiChoice’s Streaming Business
Canal+ has announced plans to shut down its streaming platform Showmax, home to Flawsome, WURA, Crime and Justice Lagos, and messy reality TV shows, marking a major first decision after last year’s acquisition. Multichoice stated […]
‘Phoenix Fury’ Director Ifeoma Chukwuogo Adds Two Short Films to Her Directing Credits
Nigerian filmmaker Ifeoma Chukwuogo has returned to the director’s chair with two new projects, Dear Dija and By Eight. With Dear Dija, written by Nduka Ebube Dike from a story by Eleanya Eke and Nduka […]
Essays
Okada Media and The Distribution of African Films on Airlines
Streaming deals have dwindled. It has become a near-weekly chorus, if not on this publication, then across the wider industry. As distribution models shift and new platforms emerge, filmmakers are searching for alternative paths. Yet […]
‘Air’ Review: The Making of An Iconic Shoe is an All-Star Drama Crafted for Hoops Faithfuls
It is 1984, the world of basketball sportswear is dominated by fashion giants, Adidas and Converse. Nike, a relatively small sportswear company at the time compared to Adidas and Converse, are finding it hard to […]
From Stage to Screen: The Artistry of Olarotimi Fakunle Knows No Bound
EXCLUSIVE: From the shining lights of theatre stages around the world to the klieg lights and silver screen of Nollywood, Olarotimi Fakunle’s artistry knows no bounds. Though some may consider him a newcomer, theatre enthusiasts […]
‘Baby Maker’ Review: Situationship Romcom Embraces Bad Habits of the Genre
Films, and media in general, love to reference the fact they exist outside reality, reminding us of their sometimes fictional nature. We often have characters within a film say, “do you think this is a […]
‘The Bride Price’ Review: Intention Doesn’t Match Execution in this Undefined Drama
The collection of a bride price, when a man wants to wed a woman, is a common feature across several cultures that are practised in Nigeria. It is an age-old practice that some cultures are […]
Film Mischief 2023: Chude Jideonwo Discusses ‘Awaiting Trial’, Importance of Film Festivals and Audience Feedback, and the Future of His Production Studio
Closing the curtains at The Annual Film Mischief 2023 was Chude Jideonwo’s timely documentary Awaiting Trial which also took home the best feature award. In Awaiting Trial, Chude Jideonwo takes a critical look at the […]
