Fresh off its award for Best Narrative Feature at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival, James Omokwe’s ‘Osamede’ is set to expand globally. The Benin-set epic, produced by Lilian Olubi, will screen in select cinemas across the United Kingdom and the United States from November 28, continuing its momentum as one of Nollywood’s most culturally resonant films of the year.
Originally developed as a stage production, ‘Osamede’ has grown into a full-scale feature that combines history and mythology. Written by Lolo Eremie, the film follows a young orphan who must rise to her destiny during the turbulent period surrounding the 1897 invasion of the Benin Kingdom. Its blend of historical drama and supernatural elements grounds the film in Edo cosmology while reclaiming a pivotal chapter of West African history through a distinctly local lens.
The film stars Ivie Okujaye in a compelling lead performance, supported by William Benson, Lexan Aisosa Peters, Tosin Adeyemi, Etinosa Idemudia, Paul Obazele, Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, and Alexander Bud.
International Screenings Begin November 28
United Kingdom
Greenwich, Streatham, Milton Keynes, Manchester Great Northern, and Birmingham will host screenings.
United States
Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Maryland, and Indianapolis.
As ‘Osamede’ steps beyond Nigeria, it continues to build on a wave of interest in Nollywood epics that foreground regional histories, indigenous language, and female-centred heroism. Its extension into UK and US cinemas signals not only the growing appetite for African storytelling but also the rising confidence in Nigerian historical-fantasy films to travel across markets.
