Reviews
‘The Herd’ Review: Daniel Etim Effiong’s Topical Despite Uneven Debut for a Desperate Populace in Desperate Times
Daniel Etim Effiong’s debut feature sits at the centre of an important political quagmire: a country refusing to tackle a complex insecurity issue that threatens to destroy an already delicate national fabric. It takes on […]
AFRIFF 2025: ‘To Adaego With Love’ Review
AFRIFF: There are many stories told of victories and the ways they are achieved. The tales of the final battles and surrender, chronicles of the victors and vanquished, narratives strung together of the pacts forged […]
AFRIFF 2025: ‘The Boy Who Gave’ Review
AFRIFF: A first feature often defines the trajectory of a director’s career. It shapes how audiences will come to perceive their work and what threads they’ll follow through subsequent projects. For The Boy Who Gave, […]
AFRIFF 2025: ‘The Good Gift’ Review
AFRIFF: Today’s sermon, or rather review, will be taken from the book of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 11, which says, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how […]
AFRIFF 2025: ‘Lace Relations’ Review (Documentary)
AFRIFF: There are familiar patterns in history, events that repeat themselves with little to no variations, circumstances that mothers and daughters will experience and moments that nations will often not learn from. With Lace Relations, […]
AFRIFF 2025: ‘Son of the Soil’ Review
AFRIFF: There is no scarcity of bodies in Son of the Soil. Bleeding and strewn across the streets; glistening with sweat, tears and blood; running and ramming into each other; it’s a visceral violence that […]
‘The Greatest Actor of All Time’ Stage Review: Temi Fosudo’s Three-Person Play on The Price of Artistic Purity
When artists cannot change the world, they bicker. Functioning otherwise as actor, writer and co-producer on the project, Temilolu Fosudo brings an energy easy to root for in his directing of this three-man hassle that […]
AFRIFF 2025: ‘Pasa Faho’ Review
AFRIFF: From the beginning of Pasa Faho, Igbo is front and centre in suburban Melbourne in Australia. The soundtrack plays Peter King’s “Jo Jolo” as the white people go about their business on the street. […]
News
S16 Film Festival 2025: Official Shorts & Feature Film Selection Lineup
Following 2024’s Technologic theme, the S16 Film Festival is now calling upon all of the lights for its 2025 edition. Themed ‘Let There Be Light’, the festival is now in its fifth edition and brings not […]
Mami Wata Legend-Inspired ‘Crocodile Dance’ Joins Growing Push Toward Crowdfunded African Animation
African animators and studios in recent years have increasingly turned to audiences and crowdfunding to move their animated projects forward. The latest example is Crocodile Dance, an African futurist animated thriller inspired by the Mami […]
Port Harcourt’s VISIONS Film Society Opens With Films on Home, Migration and Belonging
Port Harcourt may not be a hub for regular film activity, but it holds urgent, overlooked stories, and filmmaker Olohije Oyakhire believes those narratives deserve intentional cinematic engagement. Her vision is straightforward: build a steady, […]
Onyinye Odokoro to Star in Melon House’s Debut Feature ‘Adanne’, A Story Across Three Igbo Generations
Melon House Production has announced its first feature film, Adanne, a family drama set to begin production in November 2025. Written and produced by Gold Gerry (Boo’d Up) and directed by Orobosa Ikponmwen, the film […]
AFRIFF 2025 Interviews Roundup: Zoey Martinson, Allison Precious Emmanuel, Williams Uchemba and More
It’s still very much AFRIFF season over here until the last AFRIFF post drops. For this reason, we’re highlighting some of the interviews that filmmakers, actors had with What Kept Me Up, right from the […]
AFRIFF 2025: Our Festival Highlights and Recap and Full List of Award Winners
In 2023, I was wide-eyed, heart filled with love for film, and ready to experience my first AFRIFF as I made my way to the opening night venue. To my surprise, the event was by […]
Rollpay Africa and Filmmakers Mart Celebrate Nigerian Storytelling at “Nigeria Through My Lens” Film Screening
Rollpay Africa and Filmmakers Mart hosted an inspiring film screening titled “Nigeria Through My Lens” at Alliance Française, Ikoyi, Lagos. The event brought together leaders in the entertainment and business industries to celebrate Nigeria’s vibrant […]
EbonyLife ON Plus Launches with ‘Ajosepo’, ‘Dust to Dreams’, Podcast Offerings and More
EbonyLife Group’s highly anticipated digital platform, EbonyLife ON+, has officially re-launched, marking the next era of digital entertainment and lifestyle brand for Mo Abudu since the international streaming investment slowdown in the region. With the […]
Essays
In Search of The Missing Woman in Nemsia’s ‘Finding Nina’ and ‘Thicker Than Water’
Written by Elijah Oluwanisola. In 2022, Derin Adeyokunnu and B.B. Sasore’s Nemsia Studios announced a three-picture slate deal with Prime Video. The first, B.B. Sasore’s Breath of Life (2023), became an audience favourite, securing five […]
The S16 Film Festival Encourages Filmmakers to Speak Unique Language—A Critic’s Notes
My exams ended on December 9, 2022, and the S16 Film Festival started film screening on December 10, 2022. Ogun state is about 2 hours away from Lagos. But when you factor in the ever-present […]
‘Battle on Buka Street’ Review: Funke Akindele and Mercy Johnson Thrill in Comic Polygamous Family Feud
It’s the end of the year and we have another blockbuster from Funke Akindele productions, this time under her Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network banner. The food selling profession is one that is always filled with […]
Kanayo O. Kanayo Plots His Revenge in Heist Film ‘Charlie and the Boys’, Directed by Sele Got (Watch Teaser)
A teaser has dropped for heist film Charlie and the Boys, directed by Sele Got and starring Kanayo O. Kanayo in the titular role. You can watch the teaser for the feature film below. The […]
‘Rising: City Of Dreams’ Review: Confused Plot Underwhelms Promising Topical Gangsterism Story
Street gangs are a familiar phenomenon to almost all Nigerians, with their presence in every part of the country, especially in places like markets, car parks, etc. Their several activities can’t go unnoticed: supremacy battles, […]
‘Palava’ Review: RMD Stars in Familiar But Interesting Family Drama
Niyi Akinmolayan directs Palava, a lighthearted flick that explores the chaotic life of a randy musician and his daughters from several mothers. Osagie ‘Osa-Wonder’ (Richard Mofe Damijo), a once-forgotten highlife musician, has his career suddenly […]
