Asurf Oluseyi’s ‘3 Cold Dishes’ Wins Best World Film at 2025 Harlem International Film Festival
Asurf Oluseyi’s ‘3 Cold Dishes’ continues its festival run as the director has confirmed to Nollywire that the film won the Best World Film Award at the 2025 Harlem International Film Festival. Held annually in New York, the Harlem International Film Festival celebrates distinctive global storytelling. Its Best World Film category recognises outstanding international features […]
iKON Africa Expands: Uganda and Nigeria Forge a Pan-African Film Alliance
African cinema is standing at the threshold of a new era, one marked by unity, collaboration, and shared ambition. Leading this charge is iKON Africa, an initiative that has steadily positioned itself as a catalyst for collaboration across the continent. On September 27, 2025, iKON Africa hosted its first-ever Uganda–Nigerian Soirée at EbonyLife Cinemas in […]
Action Xtreme’s ‘Son of the Soil’ Wins Three Awards at Black Star International Film Festival
Action Xtreme’s action-thriller ‘Son of the Soil’ emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 10th Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF), taking home Best Film, Best Director, and Best International Showcase. The film was also selected as the festival’s closing night feature, a slot reserved for standout titles. Set in Nigeria, Razaaq Adoti […]
The Backlot Launches to Empower Independent Filmmakers
Independent filmmaking in Africa has long thrived on creativity and resilience, but many projects fall short of reaching global audiences due to limited resources and infrastructure. A new entrant, The Backlot, is stepping in to bridge this gap, offering studio-level production support tailored for independent and African filmmakers. Founded by entertainment executive Nky Ofeimun, The […]
Black Star Film Festival Partners with Majestic Cinemas for Cross-Cultural Distribution Across West Africa
The Black Star International Film Festival (BSIFF) and Majestic Cinemas, Ivory Coast’s largest cinema chain, are spearheading a groundbreaking push into Francophone West Africa, joined by Cinekita, a leading post-production and dubbing house. As Africa’s creative economy accelerates, English-speaking filmmakers are setting their sights on new audiences and fresh frontiers. The alliance is designed to […]
Why ‘The Wedding Party’ Made Me Proud to Be a Nollywood Fan
Among all the milestones in Nollywood’s evolution, one film gave media professional Japheth Josiah a rare surge of pride as a fan: ‘The Wedding Party’. In this edition of Nollyphile Life, our series spotlighting Nigerian cinephiles and their love for Nollywood, Josiah reflects on why the 2016 blockbuster resonated so deeply with him, what it […]
Filmhouse Group Partners with Africa Film Finance Forum 2025 to Accelerate Africa’s Creative Economy
Filmhouse Group took a leading role at the Africa Film Finance Forum (AFFF), which returned to Lagos this September with an ambitious agenda: to chart a path toward building a $20 billion film industry that can serve the continent’s 1.4 billion people. Over three days, from 16 to 18 September, filmmakers, investors, distributors and cultural […]
“I’m Coming”: Adesua Etomi-Wellington Signals Her Comeback
Adesua Etomi-Wellington has always felt like more than just an actress to audiences. Fans have witnessed her career glide seamlessly from romantic comedies like ‘The Wedding Party’ to thrillers like ‘The Set Up’ and blockbusters like ‘Gangs of Lagos’. But in recent years, fans have noticed she has been quieter, appearing less frequently on screen. […]
Ivie Okujaye Calls ‘Osamede’ The “Happiest Call of My Career” After Nearly Giving Up
Ivie Okujaye was eating noodles and eggs when her phone rang. On the other end was James Omokwe, calling to offer her the lead role in his Benin epic, ‘Osamede’. “It was the happiest call of my career,” she says. “I didn’t even see it coming. I hadn’t heard a thing about the project, and […]
Watch: Burna Boy Introduces ‘3 Cold Dishes’ Trailer as Osas Ighodaro Hunts Wale Ojo Across Borders
The first official trailer for Asurf Oluseyi’s long-awaited thriller ‘3 Cold Dishes’ has arrived, opening with Burna Boy’s unmistakable voice. The Grammy-winning artist appears on screen after the popular voiceover from his 2020 track ‘Monsters You Made’ before declaring, “3 Cold Dishes. The official trailer drops in 3, 2, 1, pow.” From there, the trailer […]
Bolanle Austen-Peters to Deliver Keynote at NFVCB Digital Content Conference
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has announced that Bolanle Austen-Peters will deliver the keynote address at the 5th edition of the Peace Anyiam-Osigwe Nigerian Digital Content Regulatory Conference (PAO NDCRC). The event is scheduled for November 18–19, 2025, at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos. This year’s conference will be held under the […]
Why MBO Capital Backed ‘Osamede’: Folajimi Alli-Balogun on What The Firm Looks for in Films
With the upcoming release of ‘Osamede’, a new Benin epic adapted from a hit stage play, Folajimi Alli-Balogun, Assistant Vice President at MBO Capital, explains why the investment firm backed the project, what stands out about its cultural and cinematic value, and the key factors MBO considers before financing films. The epic arrives in cinemas […]
Ramsey Nouah Would Have Been Amazing in ‘Breath of Life’
Being a Nollyphile means more than just watching Nollywood films; it’s about living with them, obsessing over them, and constantly reimagining what else could be possible. For DJ Talia, that obsession has always circled back to Ramsey Nouah. From the VHS tapes of the 90s to the glossy streaming titles of today, he has followed […]
Omotayo Inakoju on the Strongest Defenses Every Filmmaker Needs
Every superhero has a mission. For Omotayo Inakoju, it is protecting Nollywood one contract, one copyright, and one filmmaker at a time. Where many filmmakers might overlook the fine print, she sees the future of their work secured through copyright, contracts, and clean chains of title. Her mission is simple but powerful: to make sure […]
‘Osamede’: Moses Babatope Confident Edo Heritage and Pride Will Drive Success
From Toronto, where he was attending the Toronto International Film Festival as an advisory board member for its 2026 content market, Moses Babatope was already looking past the red carpets. “We keep looking for avenues and ways to get our products out and globally monetised,” he told Nollywire. That ambition is at the heart of […]
The Different Frames of Eva Ibiam
Eva Ibiam is one of the emerging faces of Nollywood’s streaming era, an actor whose performances cut across YouTube dramas, Showmax series, Prime Video exclusives, and Netflix blockbusters. What sets her apart is her ease in slipping between romance, suspense, and social commentary, always leaving an impression, whether she is navigating heartbreak, exposing secrets, or […]
Niyi Akinmolayan Sets New Movie For Q4 2025
Niyi Akinmolayan will return to cinemas in the final quarter of 2025 with a new film. While no title, cast, or storyline has been revealed yet, the confirmation alone marks one of the year’s most anticipated announcements. The filmmaker has been at the center of several of Nollywood’s defining conversations this year. His family drama […]
Razaaq Adoti Goes Extreme in ‘Son of the Soil’ Exclusive Trailer
The wait is over. Nollywire has the exclusive first look at Son of the Soil’s official trailer, released three hours ahead of any other platform, offering audiences a thrilling glimpse into what is already being called Nollywood’s most ambitious action film yet. Directed by award-winning British-Chinese filmmaker Chee Keong Cheung (Redcon-1), ‘Son of the Soil’ […]
‘Osamede’: Director James Omokwe Returns to Cinema After 12 Years
Twelve years ago, James Omokwe walked into Nigerian cinemas with ‘Awakening’, a supernatural thriller born of youthful ambition. With a modest budget and little publicity, it flopped, leaving him in debt and out of options. “I didn’t know what I was doing in terms of distribution,” he now admits. But the lesson about how unforgiving […]
Inside Nile Entertainment’s First-Look Deal With Action Xtreme: Why ‘Son of the Soil’ Matters
Nile Media Entertainment Group, led by Moses Babatope, has signed a first-look deal with U.K. outfit Action Xtreme to co-produce and distribute a slate of action films and series. The agreement, first reported by Variety, marks Nile’s first formal international first-look partnership and one Babatope says could be a template for future co-productions. The partnership […]
‘Osamede’ Trailer Offers a Glimpse Into Benin’s Past
The wait is over: the first trailer for ‘Osamede’ has dropped, pulling audiences into a world where history and myth collide. Shot over just 14 days in Benin City, the film revisits the events of 1897, when the British invasion dismantled the Benin Empire, but tells them through an unexpected lens. Its heroine, Osamede, played […]
‘King of Boys’ Prequel: How Eniola Salami Rose to Power
For Nollyphiles, few topics stir as much as prequels or sequels. Some see them as unnecessary add-ons that dilute the original story. Others embrace them as a chance to dive deeper into a character who refuses to fade from memory. Toluwanimi Okunade, a lawyer living in Ibadan and a committed Nollyphile falls into the latter […]
William Benson on Feeling Overlooked in Nollywood, ‘To Kill a Monkey’ Breakthrough, and Playing Iyase in ‘Osamede’
For years, William Benson was the actor Nollywood praised but rarely placed at the center. At industry functions, colleagues called him talented, even “perfect for that role,” but when the casting decisions landed, his name was missing. “They give you your accolades or they praise you in the frame where they are, not outward,” he […]
Joy Odiete on SIRA and Why Nollywood Must Trade, Not Just Showcase
For more than 20 years, Joy Odiete has travelled the world, attending film festivals from Cannes to Toronto. Each trip, she says, came at a cost (flights, hotels, screening fees) and too often, she returned to Lagos with little to show in terms of actual business. That frustration is what pushed the Blue Pictures CEO […]
How ‘Osamede’s’ Cast Lived Benin’s Epic in 14 Days
When ‘Osamede’ opens in Nigerian cinemas on October 17, audiences will see a sweeping historical epic rooted in Benin’s past. But behind the battle scenes and cultural detail lies another story; the personal journeys of the cast who brought the characters to life. For many, the film is more than a role; it is a […]
Nollywood Gets Its First Sales & Distribution Executives, Thanks to Trino Motion Pictures and NIFS
When Trino Motion Pictures turns 10 next year, the Lagos studio will be looking back at a decade of film production while also marking a major shift: from telling stories to building the systems that sell them. Earlier this year, Nollywood International Film and TV Summit (NIFS) and Trino launched the International Sales & Distribution […]
Brenda Fashugba Says Nollywood Doesn’t Fully Show Women’s Realities on Screen
This article is part of Nollywire’s FRAME at NIFS coverage, spotlighting conversations about women’s realities in Nollywood’s stories and behind-the-scenes spaces. During the FRAME conversation at the Nigeria International Film Summit in Lagos, Lagos Fringe co-founder Brenda Fashugba raised a different kind of challenge. While much of Nollywood’s progress is visible on screen, she argued […]
Ego Boyo Says This is What Nollywood Must Do Next For Women
This story is part of our series from FRAME at NIFS Lagos, where industry leaders reflected on women’s stories, roles, and representation in Nollywood. At FRAME, the women-in-film conversation at the Nigeria International Film Summit in Lagos, veteran actor and producer Ego Boyo reflected on how representation has always been more than a buzzword for […]
Biodun Stephen on Nollywood’s Stereotype Problem | FRAME at NIFS 2025
At the Nigeria International Film Summit in Lagos, filmmaker Biodun Stephen joined a FRAME panel moderated by writer and culture curator Wana Udobang, alongside industry figures Ego Boyo and Brenda Fashugba. The conversation turned sharply to one of Nollywood’s biggest habits: leaning on stereotypes to tell stories and cast actors. Stephen, known for character-driven dramas […]
‘Osamede’ Signals a New Wave of Diverse Nollywood Epics
Nollywood’s historical epics often lean towards Yoruba mythology and legends, creating a familiar landscape for audiences at home and abroad. But with ‘Osamede’, a new frontier is opening. Directed by James Omokwe and executive produced by Lilian Olubi, the film places the Benin Kingdom at the centre of a sweeping story while challenging traditional notions […]