Reviews
NollywoodWeek 2026: Seko Shamte’s ‘East West Love’ (Opening Film)
NollywoodWeek: Romance, in Nigerian cinema, is often mistaken for ease. It is treated as a genre that requires little or no more than nearness and sentiment—two beautiful people, a mild obstacle, an expected resolution. Yet […]
‘The Other Side of The Bridge’ Review: Tobi Bakre and Demi Banwo are Rivals on Opposite Sides of The Ring in Tame Boxing Drama
In Fiyin Gambo’s The Other Side of The Bridge, class tensions find their outlet in the clashing bodies of Tobi Bakre and Demi Banwo in a story that follows two boxers from opposite backgrounds competing […]
Short Film Review: Ifeoma Chukwuogo’s ‘Dear Dija’ Finds Tenderness in The Limits of Young Love
Seeing the world through the eyes of adolescence feels different in a way that’s hard to ignore. It’s a perspective that hasn’t been tainted by the weight of adulthood yet, where things are still a […]
‘99% Virgin’ Stage Review: Bunmi Awolowo’s Pregnancy-Scare Comedy of Faith and Panic That Doesn’t Quite Commit
Onto virgins, babies are delivered. Debby Whyte who plays the lead, Olamide, anchors this straight-forward comedy about a young woman kicking up a storm over a pregnancy scare. Wary of a shameful loss of face […]
‘Aba Blues’ Review: Jack’enneth Opukeme’s Style Meets a New City and Another Interesting Female Lead in a Faltering Story
The women of Jack’enneth Opukeme’s films are attempts at complexities to varying levels of success. In Adire (which he wrote), the titular character is bringing emancipation to the women of the town through the power […]
‘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 […]
News
NollywoodWeek Announces 2026 Opening and Closing Films, Unveils Festival Ambassador
More programming details for the 13th edition of the NollywoodWeek Film Festival, including its opening and closing films, documentary selection, and the official festival ambassador, have been announced. The festival which is scheduled to run […]
MBO Capital Doubles Down on Nollywood Despite Distribution Challenges
A lot of the conversations at the second edition of the MBO Capital Management Film Financing Conference circled back to distribution and infrastructure, and the lack of in Nollywood. These challenges came up across the […]
New African Short Film Market AISFM to Hold First Edition in Lagos
Industry eyes have been on the inaugural edition of the African International Short Film Market (AISFM) since it was first teased at a preliminary virtual event about a year ago. The first major details have […]
Nigeria in Tribeca Festival 2026 Lineup with ‘One Woman, One Bra’ and ‘Crocodile’
Nigeria records another modest presence in the 2026 Tribeca Festival lineup, with two projects set to make their North American premiere, One Woman, One Bra and Crocodile, a pan-African collaboration and a Kaduna-set documentary already […]
Esiri Brothers’ ‘Clarissa’ Selected for Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes 2026
Arie and Chuko Esiri’s sophomore, Clarissa, has been selected as one of 19 feature films to screen at the 58th edition of the Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, taking place from May 13-23 alongside the main festival, […]
How Two Filmmakers Are Trying to Save Cinema From Lagos
“One thing I appreciate about Nigeria the most now is how backwards it is,” Adebayo Oduwole says with a laugh. On the virtual call in mid March with his collaborative partner Praise Okeoghene Vandeh, the […]
NollywoodWeek 2026 Unveils First Nigerian Titles and Expands Programme with New Industry Partnerships
The NollywoodWeek Film Festival will return to Paris from May 6 to 10, 2026, with Nigerian films forming the core of its programming. Over the years, the festival has grown into a key international stop […]
Nigeria–Kenya Film Collaborations Continue with Cheta Chukwu’s ‘The Child Will Carry You’, Ella Chikezie’s ‘Nwanne’
A growing number of film projects linking Nigeria and Kenya are beginning to hint at a deeper creative exchange between both industries, with Cheta Chukwu’s The Child Will Carry You and Ella Chikezie’s Nwanne emerging […]
Essays
Showmax Shuts Down: The Defining ‘Prestige’ Legacy It Leaves for Nollywood
Showmax’s expansion to Nigeria in 2019 was such a calculated move by MultiChoice. They adopted a measured, experimental approach to one of Africa’s most active film and television industries. Obviously, Nigeria had the volume, but […]
‘Wakanda Forever’ Review: The Black Panther Lives On in Exciting Sequel
In 2018 Marvel’s theatrical release of Black Panther created a buzz in the film community—a spectacle never before seen, a black superhero in a fictional African nation getting their own movie. As a cultural statement, […]
‘Elesin Oba’ Review: Netflix’s Adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s Play Dithers on the Bridge of Transition
Let us begin with this: You don’t need to have read Aristotle’s “Poetics”, have a thorough knowledge of Soyinka’s Fourth Stage theorem, or be an expert at Dramatic Theory and Criticism to understand and enjoy […]
Movies and TV Shows Available in Nigeria in November
Juju Stories and Choke were our Critic’s Picks in October. Netflix Nigeria boasts increased titles in November, from the adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s play Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman, a sequel to Enola Holmes, romantic […]
‘The One for Sarah’ Review: Beverly Naya Stars in Melancholic Romantic Drama
In this slowly paced, somber film, Sarah (Beverly Naya), still reeling from an abusive and traumatic relationship, tries to let go of her fears and give love another chance. Encouraged by her friend (Bimbo Ademoye), […]
‘Win or Lose’ Review: Lighthearted Flick From the Slums of Makoko Staggers
Win or Lose, directed by James Amuta, presents an unexpected side of the popular floating settlement of Lagos, Makoko. A story that humanises the inhabitants and shows that despite living under less favourable conditions, they […]
