Kayode Kasum (28)

10 years ago, in his first year at YABATECH, Kayode Kasum set a goal for himself to work hard to be nominated for The Future Awards someday. Working as a director, cinematographer and animator, his work has come to be recognized for the depth of creativity employed in his storytelling. He has created and directed music videos, television series and he has shot campaigns for brands like African Cable Television (ACTV), Clover Industries Tanzania, Manchester United, DHL, Fela The Concert, ART X and Techplus.

He was behind the release of Nigeria’s first live-action animated movie titled Dognapped, which was received with positive reviews. He is the director of Oga Bolaji (2018)—which has been to over 20 film festivals across the world, screened on 6 continents in various events, and translated into two languages; French and Italian. He also directed Love is Yellow, Sweet face, and Killing Jade. He is a director on Unbroken, an Africa Magic original series that premiered in October 2019. Unbroken makes him the youngest director on an Africa Magic series.

His recent projects as a director are the anticipated Sugar Rush (2019), produced by Jade Osiberu; Phases (2019), an original web series by Ndani TV.

He is forging a new path in filmmaking that is noteworthy and deserves to be recognized.

Dare Olaitan (28)

Dare Olaitan didn’t set out to be a filmmaker, however, while studying Economics and Business Management as an undergraduate in Illinois Wesleyan College, he realized that the biggest area for growth in the African Market was in film production. This realization prompted him to undergo a Film Directing/Screen Writing program at the Colorado Film School.

Now going on three years as a practitioner in the Nigerian film industry, he has seen his debut feature film, Ojukokoro (Greed), attract a good number of fans that are on the lookout for daring and ambitious storytelling.  His follow up film, Knockout Blessing (2018), opened across cinemas in Nigeria to positive reviews and clinched five nominations at the 15^th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)–a feat that makes him a filmmaker to watch out for in the coming years. He is the Founder and managing director of Singularity Media LTD.

Chinney Love Eze (31)

A woman who believes firmly in the adage that women should support other women, film-maker Chinney Love Eze has always broken barriers. Eze began her career in Nollywood as an actress, featuring in 12 films before deciding that being actress was too stifling to her aspirations as a filmmaker and there were more relevant roles she could fit into comfortably. Choosing to start her career with minimal experience behind the camera in the director’s chair (Eze studied economic and statistics for her first degree at the University of Benin), Eze became one of the youngest producers to debut a Nollywood film in cinemas and one of the youngest women to do so.

While she is best known for her blockbuster hits ‘Hire A Man’ and its sequel (both films were rumored to have made a cumulative 100 million naira in cinemas), Eze made her debut as a director/producer with ‘The Cartel’.  The Cartel was a critical success, earning 5 nominations at the Zulu African Film Academy Awards (ZAFAA) awards as well as four nominations at the Best of Nollywood Awards. Chinney love Eze is also the producer of Maduka Daughters, Sister’s Quest, Okrika and hit movie, Hire a Man.

Rahama Sadau (26)

Rahama Sadau got her big break into the mainstream filmmaking industry for her role in acclaimed television series, Sons of the Caliphate. She has since appeared in many Nigerian movies in both Hausa and English languages. She is a double-edged sword, dexterous in language and filmmaking skills (in front and behind the camera).

She has twice won the Best Actress (Kannywood) at the City People Entertainment Awards.

Her insatiable thirst to keep pushing boundaries led her to start her own production company, Sadau Pictures, through which she produced her first movie, Rariya starring Ali Nuhu, Sadiq Sani Sadiq, and Fati Washa.

Some of her recent works include Up North, Aljannar Duniya, Adam, Ba Tabbas, MTV Shuga Naija.

She will continue to wear her many hats as a filmmaker in both Kannywood and mainstream Nollywood.

Uche Odoh (30)

Starting out her career through the Amstel Malta Box Office Competition, Uche Odoh has created different pathways for herself in the creative industry, planting her feet solidly in photography, content creation, and filmmaking.  She has also worked with Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) and later the CMA Group.

Her directorial debut, Apathy (for Homevida Org.) went on to win the Homevida best short film. She has worked on the set of several notable Nigerian box office movies, including the hugely successful King of Boys (2018) and Up North (2018). Her other film credits include, Hakkunde (2018), Code WIlo (2019). Odoh also released her first solo major project in 2019, a web series titled Life as It Is.

Her creative force is gaining momentum with every new project she works on, and she would be an unstoppable filmmaker in the coming years.