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• Showing how Nollywood is thriving from investments in African stories
Investment in African stories has been instrumental in shaping Nollywood’s growth from a local industry for local audiences to a vibrant player in the global film industry.
The film industry has seen an impressive expansion in recent years, with a surge in talent, creativity, and quality craftsmanship of storytellers, especially since streaming services like Netflix increased investment in African titles.
For Netflix, its commitment to the industry is evident in its significant support to the local film sector, with substantial investments in the sub-Saharan African film industry between 2016 and 2022 supporting numerous licensed films and original productions.
The Netflix SSA investment report revealed that in a span of just six years, its local efforts accelerated the growth of local creative ecosystems, which has also set the pace for continued growth of the local film sector.
The impact of these investments is also evident in the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) which has witnessed an impressive performance of films on streaming services.
The recent 10th edition of the AMVCA Awards saw accomplishments from Jagun Jagun, The Black Book, Blood Vessel, Adire, among others.
The success of these titles reveals an outstanding performance of some talents and creative minds backed by Netflix, solidifying their place as a force to be reckoned with in African storytelling. It showcases the remarkable quality that Nollywood titles have attained and the depth of talent and craftsmanship that African filmmakers, directors, writers, and actors bring to their work.
Femi Adebayo’s Jagun Jagun showed that its impressive performance on Netflix, attaining a global top ten spot for Non-English Films was no fluke. The thriller received 10 nominations including Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Writing in a Movie, and Best Costume Design among others, of which it scooped the Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa) and Best Costume Design categories.
The crime thriller The Black Book was the talk of the town when it made waves as one of Nigeria’s best performing English titles on Netflix. The Editi Effiong produced film peaked at No. 4 in the Netflix weekly global ranking for English films. With that success, the movie received five nominations at the 10th AMVCA including Best Art Direction, Best Movie, and Best Editing which it won, among other nominations.
Charles Okpaleke’s Blood Vessel was nominated eight times including Best Sound Design which it won. The thriller was also nominated in the Best Movie, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction categories, among others. Kunle Afolayan’s Ijogbon, with three nominations including Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa) and Best Cinematography, continue his yearly feature at the AMVCA awards. In the 9th edition of the AMVCA, Afolayan’s Aníkúlápó performed impressively with 16 nominations and finally winning five of them including the Best Overall Movie awards, among others.
Other performing local titles in the 10th AMVCA include the fans favorite Afamefuna narrating the popular Igbo apprenticeship system with three nominations, The Origin: Madam Koi Koi with two nominations and Adire with one nomination for Best Lead Actress which it won.
These wins demonstrate the impact of Netflix’s investment in local stories and talent, showcasing the streaming giant’s commitment to promoting African voices and stories to a global audience. The recognition received by these titles at the AMVCA further solidifies Netflix’s position as a key player in the growth and development of the African film industry, and we can expect to see even more exciting content emerge from this partnership in the future.
The effort of the streaming service has not only enriched the local entertainment industry but have also intently taken African stories to a global audience. Through a plethora of originals and licensed films, Netflix has worked to showcase the unique perspectives and beautiful narratives that capture Africa in all its rich essence.
The growth of the industry can be seen in the performance of the titles. This recognition is a testament to the exceptional quality, richness, and diversity of their stories, and the impact they have on audiences globally.
