Listicle

It was during a casual Cheesemonger editorial conversation that inspired this piece: How about we ask selected indie filmmakers to list their all-time favourite films? A tricky and dicey activity to engage in, I reached out to a few filmmakers to indulge me with their all-time favourite films. Responding to my question, Moses Ipadeola, at first, answered with a video link. This video clipped from a scene from The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talents, captures how reductive and impossible it is to select a solid-gold list of one’s favourite films. But, for this essay, Ipadeola and the other filmmakers in this list, divulge, what I will call, a flickering list of their choice of top three titles.  The list features Tomisin Apepeju’s list, who has a fondness for Yasujiro Ozu’s films, Ipadeola’s Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan’s favourites, Blue Adekunle and Korede Azeez’s list which feature Mati Diop’s Atlantiques, a personal favourite, to Abu Bakr Adamu’s list which features October 1, the only Nigerian film on the list. While compiling this listicle, I made a mental decision to watch the titles I hadn’t seen. You should too.  Tomisin Adepeju Tokyo Story by Yasujiro Ozu This is such a seminal piece of work that has had a profound impact on my life. I discovered Yasujiro Ozu’s work in the mid-20s0s and it was a turning point in my filmmaking journey. Tokyo Story is a film I consider to be probably the greatest film of all time because of Ozu’s sensibilities as a storyteller – I remember seeing Tokyo Story for the first time and distinctly realizing that this was the type of film I wanted to direct. Ozu’s work explores timeless human stories that transcend cultural boundaries – his formal language and aesthetic are also staggering. There is a deft simplicity to his film-making that blows me away, every single time.  Punch Drunk Love by Paul Thomas Anderson I consider this work to be Paul Thomas Anderson’s best work, Magnolia comes a close second. He was operating at the peak of his powers when he directed it. I return to this film every year because he beautifully balances this tender and emotional love story with such a complex and layered human drama about loneliness and familial anguish. It’s also beautifully crafted, I love the way he utilizes the camera to examine the interior lives of his flawed protagonists. A Masterpiece. The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray Right, this might be considered cheating as we were only meant to provide three titles but it’s an impossible task – so my argument for selecting these three masterworks is that I effectively see them as “one” film that encapsulates a poignant journey from childhood to adolescence and finally adulthood. The films are defined by Satyajit Ray’s singular voice, vision, and profound exploration of identity, love, and death. Watching the films, over three nights, was a unique and life-changing experience. Ray acutely interrogates what it means to dream, to love, and to live.   Fatimah Gimsay Gone Girl by David Fincher.  I’m personally a huge fan of well-written morally grey women and Amy Dunne happens to be my number one favourite girl. I loved reading Gone Girl as a novel and I loved the film. Amy Dunne was strangely relatable and just my type of textured character. I don’t condone everything she did but I sure enjoyed reading her mind (in the book) and watching Rosamund Pike bring her to life.  Goodfellas by Martin Scorsese.  I love gangster movies. I don’t watch enough of them but I deeply enjoy them. I feel like in another life, I would be a proud mob wife. It’s not too late anyway. Goodfellas uses the voiceover tool so well and it’s such a well-done film that comes off like a reality show of gangsters. From the use of music, costume, and of course the beautiful casting. God bless Ray Liotta always! Pretty Woman by Gary Marshall.  I love love love a sweet romcom! I love pretty women, it makes me so happy and makes me feel all fluffy on the inside! I also love the fact that the director is responsible for Princess Diaries because I feel the same emotion watching both films. I love simple stories told well. Pretty Woman is just a good watch with beautiful people vibing with great chemistry. No long talk, it makes me want to have a crush.  Bonus Answers: I love Titanic, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara & Piku. Blue Adekunle Twelve Angry Men by  Sidney Lumet I used to joke with my friends that I would not rest till I made a film like “12 Angry Men”. Initially, I didn’t want to watch it but the moment I did I couldn’t stop and I have watched it like 15 times since then. Made sixty-two years ago yet it is still one of my prototypes for superb dialogue and story. So subtle, so gentle.  Atlantiques by Mati Diop I’m in love with the general feel of the film. Following the story felt natural and not forced, it was like a cinematic meditation. It captured an authentic African experience.  Us by  Jordan Peele I am a big fan of films that resemble the process of peeling an onion, several layers after layer. “Us” Is so textured, a brilliant use of symbolism and color with a distinct directorial style. I creatively relate to Peele’s puzzling style. Just like every Jordan Peele film, I dream that when people see my film they can say “..that is an Adekunle Blue film” even before seeing my name in its credit. Moses Ipadeola  Inception by Christopher Nolan  I love the mental exercise that comes with watching Inception, I have seen it many times. It’s one of my favorites because the film itself is a metaphor for film production and its collaborative nature.  The Departed by Martin Scorsese   The Departed is one of those films that show Scorsese’s mastery of storytelling. Characters live through the film with their distinctive characters

The Nigerian filmmaking cineaste called Nollywood witnessed some unprecedented achievements in 2023. From Editi Effiong-directed Black Book and Charles Okapaleke’s Blood Vessel which secured covetous on Netflix’sx global Top 10 list, to C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s monumental and culture-defining moments and achievement with his monochromic Mami Wata, to Funke Akindele’s box-office moments, the film industry witnessed growth. Anchored on these historic cultural moments,  the film industry is fit to create more cultural moments worth reminiscing about in years to come. However, while all these constantly-in-the-tabloid moments took place, Nigerian indie filmmakers were, in their individual and collective efforts, also making waves.  Propelled by the urgent and creative decision to spotlight the indigenous filmmaking style and sensibilities of Nigerian indie filmmakers, film festivals were started and some returned for their sophomore and third editions. Amongst those indie-focused film festivals are Ibadan International Film Festival(IBFF), Ibadan Indie Film Awards(IFA), Edo State International Film Festival(ESIFF), Surreal 16(S16),  and The Annual Film Mischief(TAFM.) In their unique programming interest and taste, these festivals are a haven for Nigerian indie filmmakers to publicly show their unorthodox films. Thus, these festivals, by providing platforms for these dissident filmmakers, are laying the ground for a more diversified film landscape that caters to different filmmaking styles and sensibilities.  Writing, directing, shooting, and producing these often scornful but cinematically gripping films are these underlisted Nigerian filmmakers. Apart from making films with a different tone and mood from mainstream Nollywood films and series, these filmmakers share a kinship in their commendable interest in curating and serving the cinematic cravings of a growing and thriving market. Selected for their eclectic and wanderlust filmmaking interest, this list features directors, screenwriters, and producers with enviable filmography.  FATIMAH GIMSAY.  My earliest introduction to the Nigerian screenwriter-cum-director is with her short film Ijo starring Genoveva Umeh and Charles Etubiebi. At first watch, what was obvious and gripping was the storyline — which, in a few minutes, intimated me with the heart-wrecking story of the lead, and Gimsay’s deft directing.  Produced in 2023 is Omonzi. A short film that, in paltry minutes, captures the tale of motherhood and migration. This film helped secure Gimsay’s directorial prowess in my mind.  MOSES IPADEOLA.  The Nigerian film director, with a theatre art background, Moses Ipadeola has a unique filmmaking style. Ipadeola’s poignant interest in capturing and portraying the African cosmological and cultural landscape guides the project he works on. From Ifa Therapy to Fate, and his newly-teased Fada Kristmas, his affinity with African culture shines bright.  DIKA OFOMA There are multiple versions of Dika Ofoma. I’m familiar with two versions: Ofoma, the Culture Journalist, and Ofoma, the filmmaker. With a vast byline to his name, Ofoma has established himself as one of Africa’s culture journalists who takes a keen interest in writing and reporting about the filmmaking landscape in Nigeria. As a protege of the Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene and a passionate watcher of Old Nollywood films, Ofoma keenly intersects Old Nollywood sensibilities into his films. From his critically acclaimed The Way Things Happen, to the migration-themed A Japa Tale, to his recently produced A Quiet Monday, Ofoma is a remarkable director to look out for in 2024.  TENIOLA ZARA KING The Islander British-born and Nigerian-raised Teniola Zara King is a writer-cum-director influenced by her exposure to multiple cultural worldviews. King’s directed Teju’s Tale testify to these cross-continental influences. The director also teaches a film masterclass for Round House about the journey of a film from moving from an idea to the screen.  TOMISIN ADEPOJU Another Nigerian-British filmmaker worthy of attention is Tomisin Adepoju. Having screened his films in over 150 film festivals including the prestigious Sundance, Adepoju occupies a coveted spot as one remarkable Nigerian indie filmmaker. Although Adepoju’s filmmaking career and films which are mostly outside the confines of the country, can be passively considered an outlier, his films often bear marks of his cross-cultural influences. One such short film is Appreciation. Filmmaking aside, Adepoju also hosts Dialies – his creative contribution to bridging the conversation between Nigerian-British filmmakers and others JULIE AKO Julie Ako has a different portfolio from the listed filmmakers here. Trained as a Computer Scientist, Ako began her filmmaking career writing screenplays and writing for the stage. As her interest in screenwriting expanded, she noticed that something was missing in the screenwriting landscape: There are many talented writers on the continent and there are few opportunities for them. In a bid to solve this challenge, Ako co-founded Albantsho, which is “a platform where amazing black Africans come together to unfold the many layers of African stories.”  Of Burning Questions and Fiery Answers, Ako’s recent short film screened at the indie-focused S16 Film Festival.  OWEN OLOWU Another Nigerian indie filmmaker with a non-conforming to the status quo filmmaking style is Owen Olowu. Having interviewed and watched all the short films I can find in Olowu’s filmography, it’s easy to distinguish his daring approach to telling stories. This brave approach to telling stories has earned him multiple awards at The Annual Film Mischief and recently at The Film Joint Awards 2024. Olowu’s strong and steady strides as an indie filmmaker aside, he is currently working on a part of securing a foothold in mainstream Nollywood.   BLUE ADEKUNLE Adekunle Blue is known for The Blood Covenant, Man and Masquerades, and Strawberry Chinny where she acted in varying creative capacities as Art Director and Assistant Director.   Winning Best Student Film at the Africa International Film Festival(AFRIFF) Globe Award in 2023 with Man and Masquerade, her debut directorial project is a testament and foreshadowing of the filmmaker’s gradual ascendancy. Away from her directorial work, Blue has built, over time, an attractive portfolio designing, as an Art and Production Designer. La Femme Anjola, Blood sisters, Elesin Oba, Love Language, and Now That We Are Married are films that hold witness to her abilities.  KOREDE AZEEZ Korede Azeez has always been precise and vocal about her filmmaking intentions: “to make movies with Muslim protagonists. This has guided her story and

I’ve been encumbered with the brutal task of trying to summarize the year for Nollywood in a couple of words. I could simply call it good or bad, slap on a block of decent prose to back my stance, and just move on, but that wouldn’t be fair. 2022 has been quite the year. It’s been a fine buffet of the good, the bad, the shocking and the very interesting. The idea behind evaluating a year is to spotlight and document progress. The go-to outcome measures are usually the quality of the films released across the year, box office performances and, sometimes, critical attention. But I think the best way to monitor our progress is to step out of our bubble of self-congratulation or hypercriticism and mark where we stand in the broader context of global cinema and cultural impact. Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself, but I’d like to think the ultimate goal of filmmaking, like any storytelling endeavor, is to share a story with people with the hope of getting a response. In most cases, the sharing starts within your immediate setting, but there’s always that itch to see what people who think nothing about you feel about your story. That’s how I choose to evaluate Nollywood, and I’ll declare 2022 a success. Simply because there’s finally an acute awareness that we’re not in a bubble anymore, that there’s a broader scheme, and that there are people from all over the world watching with keen interest. This has led us to tinker with thematic preoccupations, structure, genre biases, language, originality and identity. It’s been refreshing watching us scramble for answers. This rat race has led to accidents but it’s also yielded a number of gems. A lot has been published about the films and directors of the year but we at the film rats club will be focusing on the performers. Some of our members fell in love with a number of artists over the year and they have written about them: Echelon Mbadiwe as Kamso in Yahoo+ “I saw Echelon Mbadiwe in two films this year: Yahoo+ directed by Ebuka Njoku and The Way Things Happen by Ugochukwu Onuoha & Dika Ofoma. In both films, Mbadiwe delivers stellar performances, taking already noteworthy material to new heights. In The Way Things Happen, she plays the romantic partner whose boyfriend suddenly drops dead playing football one evening. Echelon is able to not only embody the grief that consequently shocks her character into a scary silence, her performance also grounds the film, offering the audience an opening of sorts into the film’s atmosphere and themes. However, it is her turn as Kamso in Yahoo+, one of the year’s best thrillers, that is the standout performance. In an essay, I described Yahoo+ as a brilliant film anchored by “performances that crackle with energy.” There’s a particular scene with Mbadiwe and Somadina Adinma where the latter, who plays her boyfriend, discovers that she is one of the ‘runs’ girls he and his friend have decided to use for rituals. This scene is one of my favorite scenes in Nollywood this year. The pair play off each other really well here, pulling the audience into their headspace which at that moment is filled with confusion, regret, love, anger and disappointment. As Kamso, Mbadiwe is able to switch easily from the studious and reserved aspect of the character to the feisty heroine of the love story to an independent and proactive woman navigating the complex world Ebuka Njoku creates in Yahoo+.” – Joseph Osamudiamen Nengi Adoki as Joy in Juju Stories “In CJ Obasi’s romantic Suffer The Witch, the third film in the 2022 anthology Juju Stories by the Surreal 16 collective, Nengi Adoki plays Joy, a young lady obsessed with her classmate. Nengi’s performance as Joy puts her in a rare class of performers working in Nigeria today. She’s gentle, alluring, creepy and memorable. Her manic grin is bewitching and it creates a suffocating feeling of unease that undergirds the film.” – ‘Chukwu Martin “Easily the most memorable performance of all the films in the anthology. Nengi was phenomenally creepy. I can’t see anyone else in that role.” – Korede Azeez Sola Sobowale as Awarun in Anikulapo “Awarun is a powerful woman. She’s slippery in her ways, a man eater, and seduces men with a promise of prosperity. In no time she spots Saro, a new prey, and is quick to pin him. Nobody is thanking Sola Sobowale for this, but she delivers soundly in a performance not many thought she was capable of. She made Awarun interesting and lit up the screen whenever the camera landed on the many interesting stories hidden by her facial expressions.” – Hafeez Oluwa “It was nice to see Sola Sobowale in a role different from what she’d normally do and she delivered!” – Korede Azeez Kelechi Udegbe as Officer Magnus in Collision Course “Kelechi is an eclectic performer. He’s spontaneous and is always attending to the disparate needs of the many characters he’s portrayed. In Collision Course, he plays a frustrated police officer who accidentally discharges his weapon on a civilian. Kelechi puts on a show. He juggles nuanced choices with relatable perks. With Magnus, Kelechi cements his place as one of the best in the game.” – ‘Chukwu Martin “The film may have split the audience and critics but if there’s something we can and should agree on, it’s Kelechi’s stunning performance as Corporal. We have all seen this policeman on the street and he delivers him to us in the most authentic way possible. This is Kelechi’s finest work yet.” – Hafeez Oluwa Genoveva Umeh as Timeyin Ademola in Blood Sisters “Once again, Umeh reminds me of why I fell in love with her talent years ago during a performance of her play “Home” at Lagos Fringe. She works so nicely through multiple layers to portray a troubled young person who we offer our sympathy even before we realize it. Genoveva is a true performer at

At the time of writing this article, Iran has been in the throes of unrest for about five weeks. On the 16th of September, a 22-year old Kurdish woman named Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the morality police who assaulted her for refusing to wear her hijab properly.