In Nigeria when you say someone is connected, it means the person knows people or possesses the strategic moves to help your life. One way or the other, they can get a problem solved or get that person to take a look at your file. Or In this case, their previous struggles, efforts and successes, which have smashed a wall and forged a path, have led more people to life-changing opportunities.

Film can be anything. Film in Nigeria is many things. But as a higher calling, it’s practised by a few. This is to have something to say and intently strike those filmmaking tools, knowing you’ve very few projects to achieve that. That’s how I view the Nigerian New Wave. Alongside entertainment, they know and see what film is for — wielding it as a tool for social impact.

A set of Nigerian new wave filmmakers made their bow in Switzerland, at the 27th edition of Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, “one of the top festivals on the shorts map,” as Michael Omonua puts it in a statement to What Kept Me Up. These new wave filmmakers were put on by his historic grand prize win at the same festival in 2021 which was an Oscar-qualifying route for his short film Rehearsal, which is set to become something bigger on a larger canvas in an upcoming feature titled Galatians.

“After winning the Grand Prize I spoke with John Canciani [the festival’s artistic director] who was keen to know what was happening in Nigeria and since then he’s done a lot of hard work trying to figure out the new and emerging voices,” said Omonua. “If my film played any role in that then great, but ultimately I think we’re all just film people, curious to know what’s going on in different places around the world.”

Like that year at TIFF (2016) when Nollywood was showcased on a grand scale in the City to City program and they got The Wedding Party, Green White Green, Okafor’s Law, Taxi Driver and others, but this time in Switzerland, short films written and directed by some of our new wave filmmakers enjoyed the European spotlight.

Omonua is clearly now connected and Kurzfilmtage’s showcase of 17 Nigerian short films at the 6-day festival proves this. At this year’s event, Omonua served as a juror and programmer for the special out-of-competition section that placed Nigeria in focus. About 19 Nigerian filmmakers saw their films screened across 3 categories, namely Love and War, Love and Emancipation and Beyond Nollywood: Spiritual Connections and the Power of the Mystical, alongside a special screening of Juju Stories. The selected films include fictional narratives, documentaries and experimental projects. 

“The shorts bear witness to the new generation’s unique ambition and creativity and they represent a hyper-conscious departure from mainstream Nollywood,” reads a statement on the festival’s website.

What has this opportunity provided? In one word: Belief! It has given a group of filmmakers a reason to believe. It is fitting in a year that has seen a wide range of success for Nigerian indie filmmakers at film festivals and beyond (unprecedented distribution deals) across the world, notably CJ ‘Fiery’ Obasi’s Mami Wata and Babatunde Apalowo’s All the Colours of the World are Between Black and White.

“Filmmakers having success outside the country will definitely inspire anyone trying to make more artistically minded films,” said Omonua. “I don’t think we have reached 1% of where things could be. But I believe there’ll be a lot more filmmakers doing this kind of work going forward. Some will transition into making mainstream projects and that really excites me. I’m inspired by what’s to come.”

This article documents the filmmakers and their films who made their bow at the festival, with personal mini profiles of the filmmakers with 2023 projects. 

The following Nigerian films were screened at the 27th Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur 2023, from November 7-12: Besida (Chuko Esiri), Ixora (Nengi Nelson & Nosazemen Agbontaen), Egungun (Olive Nwosu), Hello,Rain (CJ ‘Fiery’ Obasi), Harmattan (Muyiwa Awosika), A Quiet Monday (Dika Ofoma), Do You See Me (Wale Oyejide), You Matter to Me (Immaculata Abba), Memory XX (Ewoma Great Oro & Olamide Akinjare), A Study on Love (Olayinka Eno Babalola), Alaafia Ni (Sonia Irabor & Tobi Onabolu), Aje and Bruja (Nosa Igbinedion), I am an Easy One to Forget (Sonia Irabor), The Nightmare on Broadstreet (Ayo Lawson & Femi Johnson), Lizard (Akinola Davies Jr.), Ojo Aiku (Lakin Ogunbanwo), Rehearsal (Michael Omonua) and a special screening of Juju Stories (S16 Collective)

Our Special Q&A profile of the filmmakers with 2023 projects. We were able to get a hold of 3 out of 6 of them. This should give a brief insight into their lives as filmmakers so far and the path forward.

EWOMA ORO (Memory XX)

In his words…

Memory XX is the most vivid memory I have of Nigeria’s failed government. The inspiration behind it was what happened on the 20th of October, 2020.

On influences as he made Memory XX…

Scorsese was a major influence. His work on Shutter Island is remarkable!

On what this opportunity means to him…

It means a lot to me. I put in a lot of work to get this done and I am happy for the recognition. It inspires me to go back there in the future and win that in-competition category.

On how the Nigerian society has influenced his style as a filmmaker…

I’ve never left Nigeria. I was born in Niger Delta. Where I’m from, there are not a lot of stories about us on the big screen. And we’ve got a lot of stories to tell. Stories of our history. Stories of our struggles. Stories of our future. I’m very eager to tell these stories. Very eager.

On the defining moment that inspired him to be a filmmaker…

When I was eight, the children’s storybook I had written was published. I’ve always been a storyteller. But I fell in love with the film medium of storytelling in my undergrad years at Uniben’s Ekehuan Campus.

The most recent Nigerian project he would recommend…

The Black Book!

What should we expect from him next?

I’m currently working on a web series with N.I Films. It explores sex, love and heartbreak in Lagos, tailored for a global audience of young Africans who often lack proper sex education.

---

Dika Ofoma (A Quiet Monday)

In his words…

A Quiet Monday is about love and a reflection of the effects of political issues in intimate settings. 

On influences as he made A Quiet Monday…

I think I draw most of my influences from Abbas Kiarostami and Ousmane Sembène. But for A Quiet Monday, I was watching and rewatching Lars Von Trier’s Breaking The Waves drawing some inspiration from it with what I wanted to do with the camera and how I wanted the actors to be in their characters for the film. I was also watching and rewatching Chioma Onyenwe’s Ime Ego, a documentary film exploring the bride price tradition in Igbo culture. It helped me with creating the world of the film and the communal feeling I wanted it to have

On what this opportunity means to him…

Growth. It tells me I am walking the right path. I mean last year, my short film The Way Things Happen, which I co-directed with my friend Ugochukwu Onuoha, was an industry selection; this year, it’s an official selection. Yes, I am walking the right path and it speaks to my growth as a filmmaker.

On how the Nigerian society has influenced his style as a filmmaker…

I guess it provides me with the stories to tell. I think we, Nigerians, are very interesting people and I just want to reflect that and the nuances that make us human. That’s why my storytelling approach is often observational. 

On the defining moment that inspired him to be a filmmaker…

I think I’ve always wanted to make films. Right from childhood. It’s been the goal. I say this often but as young as 6 or 7, I really would have friends and cousins my age gather in our sitting room and have them reenact a scene or an entire sequence from a film we had just seen and get upset when they couldn’t get the lines right or if I thought they were not taking their roles seriously. That’s really where it all started. From there I graduated to writing and directing plays for school events. And now, I am at this place where I can be described as a filmmaker. 

The most recent Nigerian project he would recommend…

Olive Nwosu’s Egungun. A brilliant film. It’s one of the Nigerian films that screened at the festival. I found it really affecting and beautiful.

What should we expect from him next?

I can’t speak about them in detail yet. But I am currently scripting and in pre-production for a few things.

---

Muyiwa Awosika (Harmattan)

In his words…

Harmattan delves into the intricacies of survival and exploring the impact it can have on the mind, body and spirit. 

The inspiration for the story came from my conversation with several army officers whom I met during NYSC, each with unique reasons for enlisting. These encounters provided me with a fresh perspective on soldiers, a stark contrast to the prevalent perception in Nigeria. 

Inspired by these stories and my time at camp, I embarked on crafting a story centered around a diverse group of recruits in a military camp. However, delving into soldiers’ accounts of water scarcity in Northern regions prompted contemplation about the fate of these ‘normal’ individuals when faced with the depletion of a vital resource. The narrative explores how such a crisis pushes people to their limits, activating survival instincts. Over time, I realised that this microcosm mirrored contemporary Nigeria. 

I was also frustrated with the Nigerian films I was watching at the time. The films coming out of Nollywood failed to connect with me. The prevalent overdramatization, lack of authenticity, and subpar productions compelled me to pursue a different approach. Sometimes you have to really hate something to do something different. 

On influences as he made Harmattan…

During writing and pre-production, I watched several films by filmmakers that influenced the film in many different ways. Having watched Mandabi (1968) by Ousmane Sembène was a powerful influence in terms of seeing a West African story told in a certain cinematic language that felt intentional but still felt ‘African’ and rooted in its culture. Witnessing Black Africans depicted in such a manner instilled the confidence that my vision for Harmattan was not only plausible but also aligned with the authenticity I sought.

Beau Travail (1999) by Claire Dennis was another inspiration for the language of the film. Despite Harmattan’s dark and intense narrative, I aspired to infuse a poetic essence into the visual storytelling. Beau Travail expanded my perspective on portraying military life with nuance, capturing its ruthless and violent nature while maintaining a certain aesthetic. 

A big issue I knew I was going to face was how to portray the oppressiveness of heat in the film and make resonate with the audience. This brought me to explore several Australian New Wave films like Walkabout (1971) by Nicolas Roeg and Wake in Frieight (1971) by Ted Kotcheff. Both these films displayed heat that was palpable and visceral.

Delving into the works of Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, particularly Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010), provided inspiration for capturing night scenes, and the wilderness, and employing sound design. Given the narrative’s setting in the Nigerian wilderness, it became crucial to immerse the audience in the ambient sounds, forging a closer connection with the characters.

On what this opportunity means to him…

It’s both an honour and privilege for Harmattan to be selected as part of the selection of films representing the ‘Nigerian New Wave’. It’s amazing to see the breadth of Nigerian voices coming to the festival. And it’s a big sign that the future of Nigerian cinema should be in good hands. I’m excited for the future. This is hopefully just the beginning.

On how the Nigerian society has influenced his style as a filmmaker…

I’ve always believed that there are so many stories Nigeria has to offer. Just leaving your house in Lagos and going to the supermarket you’ll experience or see at least five different things that could each be a compelling story. Being Nigerian, stories have been an integral part of my life. Stories from my grandparents, my parents, friends and strangers. We’re a culture of storytellers it’s in our blood. The richness of our history, from pre-colonial to colonial and post-colonial, encompasses fairytales, folklore, tales of liberation, and reflections on our nation’s journey.

The emotional weight of being Nigerian, shaped by our complex history, profoundly influences my choice of subjects and characters. I firmly believe that one of the inherent beauties of filmmaking lies in allowing an audience to empathize and immerse themselves in a stranger’s experiences, emotions, and culture. As a writer/director, my creative well draws from both my life and the observations around me.

However, my frustration with mainstream Nollywood films has led me to approach the telling of Nigerian stories in a radically different manner. Guided by my sensibilities and a commitment to reflecting the Nigeria I know, I strive to offer narratives that diverge from the conventional, providing an authentic and nuanced perspective

On the defining moment that inspired him to be a filmmaker…

I grew up watching films through my parent’s VHS and DVD collection at home. And I was always interested in films, music and drawing and in my pre-teens I got into literature. But when I was around 17 years old and I realised that I wasn’t going to make it as a musician or rapper, I desperately thought of what other art form I could do and filmmaking was the one that made sense. 

The most recent Nigerian project he would recommend…

Mami Wata by C.J. Obasi.

What should we expect from him next?

I’m currently developing another short film set for production in early 2024. Simultaneously, I am writing my debut feature film and adapting Harmattan into a TV series.

---

Share your thoughts in the comments section or on our social media accounts.

Sign Up: Keep track of upcoming films and TV shows on your Google calendar.