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Nollywood has lost one of its defining voices Veteran Nigerian actor and film executive Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84. His family announced his passing on September 16, 2026, describing him as “The Lion of Lufodo” and asking the public and media to respect the family’s privacy. For more than five decades, Jacobs built a career that stretched across theatre, British television, international cinema and Nigerian film. He was n

1. Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother - September 25 Mahershala Ali playing a religious hitman is an intriguing contradiction! Directed by Bassam Tariq, this film is definitely one to watch. It explores themes of faith, fatherhood, and morality while delivering the tension of a crime thriller. Ali stars alongside John Cho and Giancarlo Esposito. Where to watch: In select U.S. cinemas from September 25, with a wider U.S. theatrical release on October 9 through Orion Pictures.

FAME Week Africa, in partnership with MultiChoice Group, a CANAL+ company, has announced the MultiChoice Group Premium Drama Call for Projects, inviting producers across Africa to submit original drama series concepts for potential commissioning. The call is looking for high-concept, contemporary drama series that are commercially appealing, action-driven and rooted in authentic African stories. Projects should explore universal themes, offer aspirational storytelling and hav

In Zikoko life's Siraam, Uzoamaka Power finds comedy in the distance between what we know about love and what desire persuades us to believe. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman in possession of a romantic imagination must be in want of a man who will disappoint her. Austen had the advantage of writing fiction about women and men in the Regency era before the invention of the situationship, that modern arrangement in which two people may behave as though

The filmmaker's latest short film draws inspiration from Zeb Ejiro's 1996 classic while reimagining its themes for a new generation of Nigerian audiences. By Akinwande Jordan Nearly three decades after Domitilla became one of the defining works of Nollywood's video-film era, filmmaker Dika Ofoma is returning to its legacy with A Happy Ending, his latest short film and one of three entries in the second edition of the Zikoko Life anthology. Produced by Big Cabal Media in partn

From Scary Movie and Creed to Nollywood premieres, Cameroonian cinema, MUBI, Hulu and diaspora documentaries, here are Black Film Wire’s essential June 2026 screen picks. The summer movie season is officially open, and June 2026 is delivering more than the mainstream calendar might suggest. Yes, the Wayans family is back in theaters with Scary Movie. Yes, The Blackening is perfectly timed for a Juneteenth-season rewatch. And yes, Nia DaCosta's Hedda remains a Prime Video titl

How a Single Actress Winning Both Lead and Supporting Acting Honours in One Night Produced What May Be a Global First, while Nigeria's Designers Quietly Out-Conceptualised the Met By Sahndra Fon Dufe, Editor-in-Chief | Black Film Wire, Atlanta GA May 10, 2026 Linda Ejiofor-Suleman wins at AMVCA |2026 There is a moment at the end of a great awards season when something tips over from celebration into significance. Last night at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, at the 12th Af

In 2025 Nile Entertainment, the Nigerian film distribution company founded by veteran film executive Moses Babatope, landed the African theatrical rights to Son of the Soil, a Lagos-set action-thriller from the UK's Sovereign Films and its genre label Action Xtreme. Lauded for its grit, colourful direction and swashbuckling sequences, the film has gone on to clinch festival awards and earn international distribution deals spanning Africa, the UK, the US, and Netflix. Central

By Black Film Wire Original Stories There’s something undeniably powerful about women who command boardrooms and screen time with equal finesse. Nollywood has steadily delivered a lineup of corporate women who are not only brilliant and assertive but also effortlessly stylish. These characters remind us that professionalism doesn’t have to come at the expense of personality or fashion. From tailored silhouettes to bold statement pieces, here are our favourite corporate hot ba

Bimbo Ademoye's latest YouTube film arrives with 8 million views, a standout supporting cast, and serious style — but does the dual performance at its centre fully deliver? Atlanta, GA April 9, 2026 ★★★½ / 5 | 7/10 Rated on: Story & Script, Lead Performance, Supporting Performances, Direction, Production Design, and Emotional Impact Directed by Great Val Edochie | Written by Ukeme Ninedeys | Produced by Grace Felix | Executive Producer: Bimbo Ademoye | A3 Studios | 2h

In her 30th year in film and her directorial debut, Nollywood legend, TIME 100 honoree, UN World Food Programme Ambassador, and global screen icon Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde turns Mother's Love into an unprecedented act of giving committing box office proceeds to Slum2School Africa and placing the film among only 4 in global cinema history to make this level of philanthropic commitment. By Sahndra Fon Dufe, Editor in Chief, Black Film Wire Published: March 14, 2026 Mother's Love

A $50 million fund. Nine projects. Filmmakers with Cannes, Neon, Netflix, and Venice already on their résumés. The Next Narrative Africa Fund's inaugural slate raises a question its own mission demands we ask Noray Nehita stars in Omotola Jalade Ekeinde’s Directorial Debut Mother’s Love The Next Narrative Africa Fund has announced its inaugural slate. Nine projects. Drawn from more than 2,000 submissions across 80 countries. The names attached are impressive: Trevor Noah, Rap

In the last decade, across film, TV, music and other media, there has been a notable shift in how consumers engage with tart. Access to previously distant data and unmasking of the celebrity mythos a la social media, among other factors, have made it such that fans are more invested in the product, producers, and the business. A random Hollywood enthusiast living on the other side of the planet can easily tell you what actors and directors make the most money. Disagreements a

Nile-Distributed Mother’s Love Advances Global Festival Campaign Star of the evening, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, in Ade Bakare London. Image: Sammy Oguejiofor Los Angeles, California- February 16, 2026 Following a successful international festival trajectory from the Silicon Valley Africa Film Festival (SVAFF) to the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Mother's Love , the directorial debut of Nollywood legend, TIME 100 honoree, and global screen force Omotola Jala

Nile Entertainment , a subsidiary of Nile Media Entertainment Group, is set to become the sole theatrical distributor for Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures films across West Africa, following an appointment by United International Pictures. The deal is set to take effect from February 27, 2026 and will see the company take over exclusively for UIP in ‘key markets, including Ghana and Nigeria’. According to a Press Release shared via social media by Nile Group CEO,

You know that feeling when you stumble on an old Nollywood or Ghallywood film on YouTube and suddenly it's 3 AM and you're crying over a love triangle that involves juju, class warfare, and at least two people pretending to be dead, BlackBerry in hand? That's " jakusco" energy, the beautifully chaotic, melodramatic African love stories from the late 90s to the early 2010s that defined a generation, with raw emotional performances that prioritized drama and cultural depth. I

At 68, The Nollywood Pillar Who Went Pan-African Before Streaming Made It Cool Reflects on Building Distribution Networks Across Three Decades By Sahndra Fon Dufe, Editor-in-Chief | Black Film Wire, Atlanta GA February 4, 2026 Zack Orji|2024 On his 68th birthday, Nollywood veteran Zack Orji is still building. He is not retiring to retrospectives or tribute galas, but commissioning scripts, directing across borders, and preparing to launch an owned YouTube channel as platform

Leading Nigerian studio Bluhouse has put out a call for an Igbo-speaking female role. Deadline is January 11. BLUHOUSE Studios, the production house behind films like Freedom Way (2024) , A Quiet Monday (2023) , the Zikoko Life Anthology Series (2025), and Indie pictures like Obi is A Boy (2025) and Kachifo (Till the Morning Come) , has put out a casting call for a female role. Applicants, between 25 and 35 years, are required to send in a monologue in Igbo as seen

92 Films. 32 Countries. 1 Weekend. October 9–12, 2025 | San Jose. Sherif Awad at the SVAFF Knowledge Sharing Session | Photo Credit: SVAFF At the just-concluded Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) , the conversations go far beyond screenings and applause. We dug deep into history, culture, creativity and the shifting heartbeat of African storytelling. This year’s knowledge sharing session with Sherif Awad , an Egyptian film critic, curator, and cultural ambassador

92 Films. 32 Countrie s. 1 Weekend. October 9–12, 2025 | San Jose. Dr. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde on the Red Carpet SVAFF October 9–12, 2025 | San Jose When Dr. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde walked into the 16th edition of the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) this year, few anticipated the weekend would end with her name echoing across the auditorium not just as an icon, but as a filmmaker bridging cinema and innovation.Her directorial debut, A Mother’s Love , screened t