Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde Wins Trailblazer Award at SVAFF, and Reveals Upcoming App Launch Inspired by Her Film Mothers Love
- Sahndra Fon Dufe
- 25 minutes ago
- 6 min read
92 Films. 32 Countries. 1 Weekend. 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 to a full house on Saturday, October 11, while her surprise Trailblazer Award on Sunday, October 12 crowned what became one of SVAFF 2025’s most emotional and defining moments, a fitting highlight in a festival that celebrated 92 films from 32 countries, uniting stories from across Africa and the diaspora under one unforgettable cinematic roof.
A Mother’s Love: Dual Worlds, Singular Vision
Set between Banana Island (home to Lagos’s ultra-wealthy elite) and the haunting, water-logged community of Makoko in Lagos, widely called the “Venice of Africa,” A Mother’s Love follows Adebisi (played by Noray Nehita), an only child from a privileged home who leaves her sheltered world for Nigeria’s compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year. For the first time, her parents, Labake and Rotimi, lose control over her life as she steps into a world that will test her strength, compassion, and sense of identity.
As Nigerian critic Onoshe Nwabuikwu (The Cable NG) notes:
“Even by regular standards, Obaro’s life in the Makoko-Lagos slum is a piercing eyesore. The real kicker is that his world couldn’t be more different from Adebisi’s, like they’re from different planets. But Adebisi clearly doesn’t mind. You’ll get your answers when A Mother’s Love comes out next year in cinemas.”
Without spoiling too much, one standout detail has become the talk of both the film and tech worlds: in the movie, Obaro develops a great innovation born from struggle and hope.
At SVAFF 2025, Omotola revealed that the app, originally a fictional plot device, has now been developed in real life and will be officially launched alongside the film in the first quarter of 2026.
“The idea came from the movie,” Omotola explained. “We realized the app would actually help bridge the access gap and found out this Idea does not exist anywhere in Nigeria or the US! It is the First of its Kind. So we decided to build it.”
It’s an unprecedented move, turning fiction into function and one that blurs the line between storytelling and social enterprise. Many great inventions, from the communicator in Star Trek (which inspired the modern cellphone) to the gesture-controlled tech seen in Minority Report, were once movie props before becoming real tools. Nigeria, already a fintech powerhouse, may soon add a “film-born” innovation to its growing list of tech solutions.
A Distinct, Maternal Voice, Draped in Power and Grace
Throughout the festival weekend, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde embodied what she has always represented to African cinema: presence, poise, and power. Dressed in San Diego’s Ugochi Iwuaba, she moved through SVAFF with the assurance of a woman finally telling her own story. At her screening, she wore a striking red blazer ensemble from Iwuaba’s Power Woman Collection, a look that mirrored the tone of her directorial debut: bold, deliberate, and unapologetically feminine.
It was a fitting symbol for a woman whose very presence represents agency and reinvention, not only through film, but now through technology. With the forthcoming launch of the real-life food app inspired by her film A Mother’s Love, Omotola steps into a new creative frontier: that of the tech entrepreneur, bridging art and innovation to expand the impact of African storytelling beyond the screen.
Omotola’s direction finds beauty in contrast: the polished calm of the rich and the restless energy of the poor, the stillness of grief and the chaos of love. In her hands, the camera becomes both witness and confidant revealing not just what the characters endure, but what they quietly overcome.
Thirty Years of Omotola: From Mortal Inheritance to Mastery
Omotola’s rise to this moment is its own cinematic arc. She began her acting career as a teenager, just 18 years old, with a breakout performance in Mortal Inheritance (1995) a film now hailed as one of Nollywood’s most defining works. That role, which confronted the struggle of living with sickle cell anemia, finding love and resilience, announced the arrival of a star whose artistry would transcend the screen.
Three decades later, with over 300 films to her name, Omotola has evolved from leading actress to producer, humanitarian, and now director. Her career spans the analog era of VHS to Nollywood’s digital and streaming revolutions, and her impact continues to redefine what it means to be an African woman in film, powerful, purposeful, and prolific.
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, honored as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2014, also holds an Honorary Doctor of Arts (D.Arts) from Igbinedion University, Okada.
With A Mother’s Love, she steps behind the camera not to reintroduce herself, but to expand her voice. The film feels less like a debut and more like a declaration.
A Surprise Fit for a Legend
The following night, at the SVAFF closing ceremony, the atmosphere shifted from reverent to electric. Festival founder Chike C. Nwoffiah took the microphone, his tone both proud and conspiratorial.
“We told her she was just here for a fireside chat,” he said with a smile. “But tonight, we honor Dr. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, an institution in African cinema for over thirty years of brilliance and trailblazing creativity.”
The crowd erupted in applause as Omotola, astonished, took the stage dressed in a black sheer number designed by San Jose’s own WC.USA. What began as a casual conversation soon transformed into a moment of recognition that felt earned, inevitable, and deeply moving.
“Drawing on her own experience as an actor, Omotola skillfully cultivates the unique performance style of each cast member, ensuring that audiences not only empathize with the characters but also engage deeply with the broader narrative stakes,” said Rejoice Abutsa, incoming SVAFF’s Director of Academic Programs and Ph.D. Candidate at Cornell University, who took the stage to moderate the fireside with Omotoa Jalade after the star won the trailblazer award.
Legacy in Conversation
In an intimate fireside chat moderated by Rejoice Abutsa, the conversation turned from celebration to introspection. When asked where her strength and confidence came from, Omotola shared a story that silenced the room.
“I lost my father when I was twelve,” she said softly. “My mother was a widow, and I had to become the man of the house. That shaped everything, my courage, my independence, and the way I move through this world. I didn’t have a choice but to be strong.”
It was a raw, unscripted moment that stripped away glamour and revealed grace.
A Dream Role: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
When asked which historical figure she would most love to portray, Omotola’s eyes lit up.
“Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti,” she said. “She was stubborn, brave, rebellious, and deeply principled just like me.”
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, the late Nigerian activist, mother of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, and one of Africa’s earliest women’s Rights Advocate and Activist.
Omotola’s admiration for her was palpable.
“To play her would be an honor,” she said. “Women like her opened the doors we now walk through. There’s also the formidable Queen Amina of Zazzau.”
Nollywood’s New Chapter
Before leaving the stage, Omotola reflected on the evolution of Nollywood, a film industry she helped build and now continues to shape.
“We broke out internationally before Afrobeats,” she reminded the crowd. “Back then, it wasn’t about cameras or platforms, it was about the relativity of our stories. That’s what people are connected to, and that’s what will keep us going.”
Her words echoed across the hall, resonating with both veterans and first-time filmmakers. In them was the reminder that authenticity not algorithm remains Entertainment’s beating heart.
Accepting her award with grace and humor, Omotola described her SVAFF experience as a homecoming of sorts, her second film festival appearance as a filmmaker, following her Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) debut earlier in September and her First showing in the US. The moment was made even more special by the presence of her son, Michael Ekeinde, also a filmmaker, who joined her in San Jose to celebrate the milestone and support her new creative pursuit.
From Lagos to Silicon Valley
By the festival’s end, one thing was clear: Omotola’s weekend at SVAFF 2025 was not just another red-carpet appearance. It was a cultural memento that honored her past, celebrated her present, and hinted at her future.
“What moves me most,” she said, “is seeing how far African cinema has come, and knowing how much more is possible when we tell our stories authentically ”
From Mortal Inheritance to Mother’s Love, from Lagos to San José, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde who now resides in Los Angeles continues to remind the world that the true measure of legacy isn’t just longevity's impact but the Ability to Evolve with tenacity and Heart.
Next read our Black Film Wire Review on Mortal Inheritance