- The role of directors has changed over the years
- Taking on more creative roles, these directors, through their films, preserve African culture
- This list comprises a few among numerous directors shaping and preserving African culture in Nollywood
In the early start, the role of film directors were relatively limited, primarily saddled with capturing actions on camera and no creative process or flare was really considered - a lot has changed since then.
The Nigerian film industry, Nollywood has witnessed significant growth with established and emerging film directors - particularly geared towards preserving African history and culture.
With technological advancement and evolution, these directors are still not resting on their oars in shaping the film industry. They take more creative roles and have become central to the filmmaking process.
TheRadar takes a look into the Nollywood industry in recent times to spotlight 6 directors, analysing their cultural preservation films and what makes them stand out as Notable directors in Nollywood.
Popular Nollywood directors preserving African culture
Tunde Kelani
With more than four decades in the Nollywood industry, 76-year old Tunde Kelani has directed many films promoting Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage. His love for literary adaptation is not new and this follows most of his works and style of filmmaking. We see these in films like The Narrow Path, Maami, Dazzling Mirage amongst others.
Kunle Afolayan
The award-winning film director made an impressive shot into Nollywood with the release of the epochal ‘The Figurine’ in 2009. Over the years, Kunle Afoloyan, with his works, has shown that Nollywood can have quality pictures backed by an ambitious filmmaking approach. Starting out with a 35mm to release his films in cinemas, 48-year Afolayan, who made his debut in 2006 with Irapada, is credited with preserving the Nigerian culture and elevating the quality of Nollywood films and storylines. His comic films ‘Phone Swap’, the thriller ‘October 1’ and most recently ‘Anikulapo’ are a testament to his directorial creativity over a decade.
Kenneth Gyang
The Plateau state-born writer-director is most recognized for his 2013 comedy debut film ‘Confusion Na Wa.’ Working across Nigeria and the international space, Gyang’s ‘Confusion Na Wa’ got acclaim for winning Best Film and Best Nigerian Film at the AMAA awards in the same year. In shaping the Nigerian film industry, he won the 2013 Prize in Arts and Culture. Following cultural, social commentary and issues approach, his films are didactic like ‘Amina.’ His recent work on ‘Oloture,’ a crime drama film that highlights the dark sides of human trafficking is an example.
Bolanle Austen-Peters
Bolanle is the founder and director of Terraculture, an art and culture space. She entered the Nigerian film industry through her cultural storytelling skills. Her acclaimed film 93 Days won 13 nods at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. At the Africa Movie Academy Awards, the film set a record with a highest nomination of 7. When it comes to preserving African history and culture, Bolanle Austen Peters is definitely not new to the game.
Kemi Adetiba
Kemi Adetiba shook the Nollywood scene with her feature debut ‘Wedding Party,’ a rom-com that announced her entry in 2016. Despite transitioning as a Music director, Adetiba has proven with her works that her creativity runs wide and is accommodating for other genres. We see her consistency in King of Boys (2018) and King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021). She is currently working on ‘To Kill a Monkey,’ a film most anticipated because of her feats over the years.
Izu Chukwu
This is the director whose career predates the rise of New Nollywood as stated by Nollywood film critic, Oris Aigbokhaevbolo. With his film ‘76,’ Izu Chukwu delivered probably the best Nollywood film of the decade. The director explored this consistency in Living in Bondage. He has notably won Best Picture and Best Nigerian at the 3rd Africa Movie Academy Award. Preserving Nigerian cultural heritage, his film like ‘Amina’ in 2021 is worthy of mention.
Rita Dominic: Celebrating Nollywood’s Screen Diva at 49
Earlier, TheRadar reported that with 30 years of active screen time, Nigerian actress and producer Rita Dominic recently celebrated her 49th birthday anniversary.
Sharing her excitement to witness another birthday, she took to her X account (formerly Twitter) on July 12 to celebrate herself. Her fans, friends and colleagues including film and literary platforms showered praises on Dominic’s outstanding performances that spurred nostalgia bliss.
