Before you roll your eyes and start complaining about us making noise about the ‘New Nollwyood’, just give us a second. We’re just as skeptical as you are.
After all, is it not the same New Nollywood that is churning out web shows like Skinny Girl In Transit and On The Real that almost make you question if the Nollywood of Chinwetalu Agu and Patience Ozorkwor was as bad as we thought.
But when New Nollywood gets it right, they really knock it right out of the park, as the trailer for the new Bimbo Akintola led Ameyo Adadevoh biopic 93 Days shows.
They’re getting so much right now that one of the world’s most prestigious international film festivals, the Toronto International Film Festival has dedicated its annual City to City spotlight to Lagos, and invited several Nigerian film makers to enter their feature length films for the festival’s competitions.
Lagos is the 8th city to be featured in the T.I.F.F. City to City showcase and the first African city to be chosen purely on the strength of its independently run and financed film industry. It is joining cities like London, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Mumbai, Athens and Seoul.
Even better the line up of films debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival just got announced and damn are we eager to see them.
Here they are, no particular order.
The Arbitration
Niyi Akinmolayan basically made this film right out of pocket and it just debuted in Nigerian cinemas last weekend. Tackling the issue of non-violent rape and consent, it is shaping up to be one of the most important films of the year. Go see it and support them.
Green White Green
Abba Makama is in some ways New Nollywood’s rebel, and his films are so anti-establishment, they feel more like Judd Apatow films than Disney classics. Green White Green is his first feature length film and features Ifeanyi Dike Jnr making his big screen debut. So many firsts there.
From what we see of the trailer, this might be the first fully immersive look you’ll get of 21st century Nigeria in film.
93 Days
We’ve raved and raved about 93 Days, so we won’t do that here, we’ll just drop our teaser.
Okafor’s Law
Omoni Oboli had three of the year’s biggest films in Nigerian cinema with The First Lady, Wives on Strike and Fifty. She’s on track to make it a foursome with Okafor’s Law.
76
76 has been production purgatory for nearly half a decade so we’re more than thrilled to finally see it make the big screen. It will finally allow Rita Dominic and Ramsey Nouah give what is hopefully the performances of their careers. Sign us up already.
The Wedding Party
The Wedding Party is Kemi Adetiba’s full length debut and after her great music videos for Bez’s More You and Lindsey Abudei’s Out the Magazine from her debut album And The Bass is Queen, we know she will nail it.
Oko Ashewo
Oko Ashewo debuted earlier this year and Daniel Emeke Oriahi’s dark comedy gives one of the most realistic portrayals of sex work we’ve seen in Nigerian cinema.
Not Just Married
Judith Audu’s Not Just Married is the dark horse of the festival’s selections but with it’s relatively unknown cast, it has a chance to truly shine without any preconceived expectations.
P.S: Somkhele Iyamah-Idhlama (she’s married folks, respect the hyphen) has already gotten nominated for a rising star award. She schooled there, so for her this is the best kind of homecoming.
Congratulations mama!
To find out more about the films, go here.
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