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
Nollywood Distilled: The Stories That Mattered This Week
This week on Nollywood Distilled, FilmOne unveiled part of its 2027 cinema slate, Clarissa picked up four Gotham nominations, and MultiChoice announced changes to its pay-TV packages. Elsewhere, Agbara Nla: The Return crossed a major […]
Bamike Olawunmi Leads Romcom ‘The Perfect Spec’ as Gospel Singer Limoblaze Makes Lead Role Debut (Watch Trailer)
Bamike Olawunmi (Bam Bam), Vine Olugu and gospel singer Samuel “Limoblaze” Onwubiko will lead the love triangle in The Perfect Spec, a new faith-based romantic comedy from Kinsman Studios. We have our first extensive look […]
How AFRIFF’s Inaugural Film Market Led to Distribution Deals, Sales Representation and Cannes Opportunities
One year ago, AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM) entered its first year with the goal of creating a meeting point where African filmmakers can connect with professionals who could help move their projects forward. […]
Lagos Fringe 2026 Film Programme Features 20+ Short Films, and Masterclasses
The Lagos Fringe Festival has released its 2026 film programme, with short film screenings, industry sessions and a Film Night and Awards event scheduled for the ninth edition in November, as part of the wider […]
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 […]
Essays
Can Horror Exorcise Nollywood’s Budget & Funding Demons?
Years ago, watching Twin Peaks felt as illusory as a child looking in a mirror for the first time and feeling the presence of another. It was so familiar yet so strange. Later, I would […]
Everything We Know About ‘No Man’s Land’, An Action Thriller Starring Sola Sobowale, Seun Kuti and Omowunmi Dada, So Far
Since we first saw stills of Seun Kuti and some young actors in No Man’s Land in 2021, it has been a long wait for excited viewers who are constantly looking forward to the next […]
‘Hotel Labamba’ Review: Biodun Stephen Presents The Most Straightforward Murder Mystery Ever
Hotel Labamba is not unlike any other murder mystery. Usually, the plot is set rolling with acquainted characters arriving at a designated location, or just random characters happening to be in the same place at […]
Everything We Know About ‘Tarella’, The African Retelling of the Cinderella Story, So Far
“I always wanted to tell an African Cinderella story, especially after research revealed the original narrative was based on a black (Egyptian) girl called Rhodopis,” revealed Lolo Eremie, the film’s producer, writer and co-director, in […]
‘Barbie’ Review: Margot Robbie Shines as Titular Doll but the Film’s Clunky Writing Casts a Shadow
It was always going to be an extraordinary feat to bring the titular toy owned by Mattel Inc. to the silver screen. Partly because, with time, Barbie has gained a lot of significance in pop […]
‘Orisa’ Review: Fiery Traditional Epic Feels Like a Thrilling Reproduction of a Familiar Cultural Display
Growing up, some of the most popular films of Yoruba Nollywood were historical period films which included epics. Though mostly low budget and with questionable production quality, we enjoyed them for the action, the depiction […]
