AFRIFF 2024: The 10 Nollywood Films You Won’t Want to Miss

Introduction

The African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) 2024 kicked off with a star-studded event that will showcase some of Nollywood’s most anticipated films. With an exciting line up that blends thrilling stories, emotional depth, and fresh creative energy, these films promise to captivate audiences and push the boundaries of African cinema.

Here’s your ultimate guide to some of the Nollywood films set to screen at this year’s festival.

• A Ghetto Love Story 

Executive produced by Bright Okpocha (Basketmouth), the romance drama about poverty, struggles, love and perseverance is inspired by true events. Co-written alongside Victoria Eze, and directed by Daniel Oriah, the movie features Akah Nnani, Chimezie Imo, Nkem Owoh, Beverly Osu, Wale Ojo, Patience Ozokwo, and Genoveva Umeh.

• Recall

Kunle Afolayan is back again with a psychological thriller titled Recall. Set in the city of Lagos, the movie is about a couple, Goke and Anita who seem to have a perfect relationship till the mysterious happens. Starring Sharon Ooja in the main role, alongside Olakunle Fakunle,  Recall isn’t a movie to be missed at AFRIFF.

• Conversations From The Past

The time setting of this film is 1863 and it’s a fictional story about the experiences of Efunroye Tinubu (a slave merchant) and Sara Forbes Bonetta, a former slave and Nigerian-born goddaughter of Queen Victoria. Fadekemi Olumide Aluko and Kuchi Chris star in this.

• Headless

   

A morally ambiguous Nollywood producer is caught with a human head in his car boot, leading to a series of investigation that unravels the link between crime, the Nigerian film industry, and politics. The film directed by Michael Ndiomu, stars Gideon Okeke, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Iremide Adeoye, Ruby Okezie and Baaj Adebule.

• The Man Died

Inspired by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka`s prison notes during his 27-month incarceration just before the Nigerian civil war, A Man Died directed by Awam Amkpa shows Soyinka’s resistance, endurance, courage as a writer, activist and human being. Actor Wale Ojo plays Wole Soyinka, and the rest of the cast are Sam Dede, Nobert Young, Segilola Ogidan and Christina Oshunniyi.

• Out of Breath

   

This Igbo language film is described as a film about African tradition and courage, it narrates the story of a village elder who defies a cruel, deadly tradition and the fallout.

Joining the list of Nollywood epics, the film inspired by true events stars, Kanayo O Kanayo, Ebele Okaro, Queen Nwokoye, Chidi Mokeme and Jide Kene Achufusi.

• The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos

Jawu, a young single mother, who alongside other residents are facing eviction by the government from their waterfront slum runs into blood money and begins to uncover the corruption behind the loss of her home.

Starring Temi Ami-Williams, Adebowale ‘Mr Macaroni’ Adedayo, Gerard Avlessi, and Teniola Aladese, the movie’s subject matter makes it not just a fictional story but a sort of historical archiving inspired by the true events of the Otodo Gbame community in 2016, that everyone should see.

• Yam and Egg

Emily Nkanga’s film, showing at AFRIFF this year, explores the aftermath of #EndSARS and the extent to which moral complications can drive human interactions. The themes of grief, migration, and betrayal are prominent in Yam and Egg.

• Princess on a Hill

Showmax Nigerian Original drama, Princess on a Hill, co-created by Abiola Sobo and Tolu Ajayi, follows the story of Zara (Onyinye Odokoro), a young executive catapulted into a high-stakes corporate environment after winning a reality show, where she contends with the fierce CEO, Moyosore Lawson (Bimbo Manuel).

Thrust into the complex and cutthroat world of high-stakes business, Zara must quickly adapt to her new reality, where power struggles and ruthless competition are the norms.

• Adunni

Emerging Nigerian filmmaker, Tola Falonipe has achieved a notable milestone with the selection of her debut short film, Adunni, for screening at this year’s African International Film Festival (AFRIFF).

The story follows Adunni, a spirited young woman who returns to her hometown after years in the city. She reconnects with Banjoko, her childhood friend, whose life and aspirations are firmly rooted in the village. Adunni’s internal struggle between her affection for Banjoko and her ambitions for a cosmopolitan life adds layers of complexity to the narrative, exploring the tensions between tradition and modernity in mid-century Nigeria.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH

Each film represents a different facet of Nigerian society, from the vibrancy of Lagos to the complexities of family dynamics, highlighting the diverse storytelling that defines Nollywood.