This weekend was an exciting one for the Nollywood scene, from international awards, to new movie announcements and screenings, it has been an exciting time for Nigerian cinema and film enthusiasts.
- Nigerian centered film “My Father’s Shadow” wins at 2026 BAFTAS
- Singer Simi responds to social media backlash
- Nollywood producer Editi Effiong announced sequel to “The Black Book”
- Actress Papaya counters claims by police on her allegations of being assaulted
- Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s film “Mother’s Love” screens at PAAF
Nigerian Centered Film “My Father’s Shadow” Wins AT 2026 BAFTAS
Akinola Davies Jr’s “My father’s shadow” has been crowned the best ‘Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer’ at the 2026 British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).
The film which was set during the chaotic 1993 Nigerian presidential election which eventually got annulled by the military at the time, was a story conceived to pay homage to the father of both Akinola Davies Junior and his elder brother, who is a singer. The movie initially premiered at the Cannes Film Festival before it went into cinemas in Nigeria for a short frame of time.
Singer Simi Responds To Social Media Backlash
Afrobeats singer Simi has responded to backlash that she received over the weekend on X (Formerly Twitter) and clarified posts that were dug up from 12 years ago. The singer who first began received backlash when she took to Twitter to speak against sexual violence against women due to the viral case of a young woman who was assaulted, has spoken out and clarified old tweets.
The tweets which followed the line of speaking about her experience as a daycare worker and were being regarded as suspicious by the general public were cleared up by Simi, with her clarifying that they did not mean anything of the such, with the singer choosing to reaffirm her stance in supporting victims of sexual violence.
Nollywood Producer Editi Effiong Announces Sequel To “The Black Book”
Editi Effiong who is the writer and producer of one of the most successful Nigerian films has announced the sequel to the film, titled “The Black Book: Old Scores.” The writer and producer also revealed that he would be working in partnership with Nicky Weinstock, one of the producers of the Emmy Award-winning ‘Severance’, on the production of the sequel.
He shared with fans that he has spent the past two years working on the sequel to the beloved movie, and confirmed that the lead role will be reprised by Richard Mofe Damijo, with the addition of new characters introduced.
Actress Papaya Counters Claims By Police On Her Allegations Of Being Assaulted
During the early hours of Saturday, 21st of February in a live shared on her Instagram, Papaya Ex documented her run in with the Nigerian police force which led to an assault on her person. Papaya shared that she was on her way home when she was accosted by the police and then hit with a firearm by one of the officers who had stopped her, with her phone taken from her.
However the Lagos PPRO took to social media to state that the actress and the other occupants in the car were unable to provide any means of their identification, which was why chaos ensued between the actress and the police officers. Which prompted Papaya to once again take to Instagram to counter the allegations made, while showing proof of the papers and means of identification she had shared with the officers before she had been hit.
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s Film “Mother’s Love” Screens At PAAF
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s directional debut film has now been showcased at the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles, California, after first screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film which is set to premiere in cinemas in Nigeria on the 6th of March has already received praises from critics and first screeners.
