Profiles & Interviews

Two women sitting in a red convertible and staring sideways at the camera.
Profiles & Interviews

Jade Osiberu Wants 'Christmas In Lagos' To Be A Holiday Classic

The rom-com tells a moving and hilarious holiday story of lost love and second chances with Lagos at its center.

Barry Jenkins attends the U.K. Premiere of Disney's ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on Dec. 11, 2024 in London, England.
Profiles & Interviews

How Barry Jenkins Approached ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ as a Coming-of-Age Epic

With ‘Mufasa’, Jenkins leans into his personal experiences and his ability to portray characters rising through adversities.

A Black man in a brown suit sits in a studio chair with four other people and speaks into a microphone while everyone pays attention.
Events

British Nigerian Actor Jimmy Akingbola Says There’s More Work to be Done

The ‘Bel-Air’ and ‘Sorry, I Didn’t Know’ actor featured as part of the Global Impact of Black Culture panel at the Okayplayer House Presented by BET during this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach.

A woman in a red dress stands with her hand on an old drawer, staring intensely at the camera.
Profiles & Interviews

Nigerian Filmmaker Funke Akindele Knows She Can Break Her Own Record

By breathing new life into a well-loved franchise, the Nigerian filmmaker has made a sure blockbuster with her upcoming film 'Everybody Loves Jenifa.'

Fikile Shiba Makhalemele poses for the camera wearing shades.
Profiles & Interviews

What It’s Like To…Be A Reggae Promoter In South Africa

Fikile Shiba Makhalemele of Lioness Productions lets us in on the dynamics of sustaining and expanding the reggae movement in South Africa through vibrant events.

A woman wraps her arms around a man from behind, both of them looking pensive.
Profiles & Interviews

In ‘Yam and Egg,’ Nigerian Filmmaker Emily Nkanga Focuses on the Aftermath of a Tragedy

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.

Former Congolese Premier Patrice Lumumba flashes a big smile and waves as he leaves Idlewild Airport for Manhattan, following his arrival in New York on July 24, 1960.
Profiles & Interviews

Johan Grimonprez’s ‘Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat’ Details the Origins of Congo Crisis

The filmmaker masterfully weaves together colonial cruelty, Western callousness, the singular power of music, and women’s role in revolutions.

‘The Smart Money Woman’ star Osas Ighodaro poses for a photo in a red dress with pink sleeves.
Profiles & Interviews

Osas Ighodaro Hopes Viewers See Themselves and Find Inspiration in ‘The Smart Money Woman’

In the show's second season, money conversations are drawn with firmer brushstrokes, revealing how everyday life events intersect with finances.

Huda El Mufti starring as Didi in Mat’am El Habayeb, dancing amidst a group of elderly women.
Profiles & Interviews

What to Watch in North Africa This October

October pulls you into the stories of chefs, cops and aliens in North Africa.

A portrait photo of Likarion Wainaina wearing a black sweatshirt and blue denim pants in a dimly lit room.
Profiles & Interviews

For Likarion Wainaina, Creating Kenya’s First Sci-Fi Series is About Pushing Boundaries in African Filmmaking

With Subterranea, the award-winning director of Supa Modo delves into the psychological effects of isolation in a groundbreaking sci-fi production.

(L-R) Actor Adebowale “Debo” Adedayo, a.k.a Mr Macaroni, director Afolabi Olalekan and writer/producer Blessing Uzzi attend the premiere of "Freedom Way" during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Lightbox on September 07, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario.
Profiles & Interviews

At the Toronto International Film Festival, Two Films Explore the Darker Corners of Lagos

Freedom Way, directed by Afolabi Olalekan and The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, fronted by the Agbajowo Collective, consider the idea of Lagos as a place where dreams go to die.

A upclose short of Gideon Okeke, from thre film, ‘Tòkunbò.’
Profiles & Interviews

Netflix's Tòkunbò is an Artfully Executed Nigerian Thriller

Starring Gideon Okeke and directed by Ramsey Nouah, Tòkunbò is a riveting story of morality, sacrifice and institutional rot.

Still from Hier.Na by Quanita Adams.
Profiles & Interviews

How This Filmmaking Duo is Telling South African Stories One Script at a Time

Having recently received a grant to help them pursue their latest projects, the women behind Blended Films production company share their highs and lows.

​An image from the film 'The Weekend' of two people sitting on a couch, looking serious.
Profiles & Interviews

Nigerian Director Daniel Oriahi on Finding Comfort in Darkness

In his latest film, The Weekend, starring Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Daniel Oriahi uses nail-biting horror techniques to explore unsettling family dynamics.

Lebo M at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California on August 09, 2024.
Profiles & Interviews

‘The Lion King’ Prequel Is a Full Circle Moment for Lebo M

Grammy Award-winning South African composer Lebo M says the upcoming Disney live-action film, ‘Mufasa: The Lion King,’ is a “beautiful evolution” of the original movie.

A still from ‘Savage Beauty’ season two showing a man and a woman sitting together at an outdoor event.
Profiles & Interviews

How Rea Rangaka Was Drawn to the World of ‘Savage Beauty’

The director of the critically acclaimed show talks character development and the value of collaboration in the making of the series’ second season.

Roye Okupe on Creating ‘Iyanu,’ an Authentic Nigerian Story, for Everyone
Profiles & Interviews

Roye Okupe on Creating ‘Iyanu,’ an Authentic Nigerian Story, for Everyone

Based on the Dark Horse-published graphic novel, the Nigerian-born animator and storyteller’s series will be available worldwide on Cartoon Network, Max, and Showmax in 2025.

A portrait photo of Peres Owino.
Profiles & Interviews

Peres Owino is Bringing Back Nobility in African Storytelling

The Kenyan American writer, whose docudrama ‘African Queens: Njinga,’ received twelve nominations in the Daytime Emmys this year, discusses her craft, authenticity in storytelling, and upcoming projects.

OkayAfrica is the premiere digital platform bringing the worlds of African music, art, culture, style, sports and politics to a global audience. Founded in 2010 as an extension of Okayplayer, OkayAfrica serves as a cultural bridge to foster deeper understanding of the continent, while also building meaningful connections with its diaspora.

OkayAfrica is the premiere digital platform bringing the worlds of African music, art, culture, style, sports and politics to a global audience. Founded in 2010 as an extension of Okayplayer, OkayAfrica serves as a cultural bridge to foster deeper understanding of the continent, while also building meaningful connections with its diaspora.

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