Nigerian filmmaker, Tolu Itegboje, takes coming of age sci-fi vision, Bam Bam, to Toronto film festival

Nigerian filmmaker, Tolu Itegboje, will present his latest short film, Bam Bam, at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Industry Market Screening on September 7.

 As one of the few Nigerian films to venture into the sci-fi genre, BAM BAM is a striking coming-of-age story that blends speculative imagination with intimate human drama.

The screening marks a milestone for Nigerian cinema on the international stage, offering buyers, programmers, and financiers a first look at an ambitious new voice in global storytelling.

Bam Bam follows Babatunde, a gifted but introverted teenager whose only confidant is Bam Bam, a strange, almost otherworldly companion who seems to know him better than anyone else. When Babatunde falls for a classmate, Bam Bam urges him to take chances—but with every step forward, his doubts grow louder. As the tension between love and fear intensifies, Babatunde must decide what trusting Bam Bam will ultimately cost him.

With its tagline, “Some lessons can’t be programmed”, the film explores identity, connection, and the complexities of adolescence in a digital age.

 Itegboje is best known for Awon Boyz, his acclaimed documentary about life on the streets of Lagos, which premiered on Netflix and made him one of Nigeria’s distinctive cinematic voices.

A graduate of the London Film School, he has directed award-winning shorts including, The Amazing Grace Church of God, and worked across advertising, branded content, and narrative filmmaking. With over a decade of experience across the industry, Itegboje’s work consistently bridges Nigerian culture and universal themes.

Bam Bam reunites him with cinematographer Kagho Idhebor—their third collaboration following The Amazing Grace Church of God and Awon Boyz. Produced by Oge Obasi (Mami Wata), with editing by Chuka Ejorh and Laughter Ephraim, and music by Ré Olunuga, the film stars Ambrose Nwoga as Babatunde, Kelechi Udegbe as Bam Bam, Victory Eyong as Inara, Emmanuel Oluwatunmise as SK, and Nimi Adekanmbi as Oyinade.

For Itegboje, the TIFF Market screening is both a personal and professional breakthrough:

“This film is deeply personal to me. It’s about doubt, love, and the strange comfort technology can provide in our loneliest moments. Sci-fi is rarely explored in Nigerian cinema, and I wanted to show how universal the genre can be when rooted in our culture. BAM BAM is the beginning of a trilogy, and my hope is that audiences everywhere will see themselves in Babatunde’s search for connection.”

TIFF is one of the world’s most important film platforms, bringing together distributors, financiers, programmers and studios  from across the globe. With BAM BAM, Itegboje adds a bold, passionate voice to international conversations about the future of African cinema

 Itegboje is a Nigerian filmmaker and storyteller, born in Benin City and raised in Lagos.

 A graduate of the London Film School, he has spent more than a decade working across advertising, branded content, documentaries, and narrative film.

His documentary Awon Boyz was released on Netflix in 2020, while his shorts have screened at major African festivals.

Through his company, LSW Films, Tolu crafts bold, character-driven stories that fuse African nuance with global cinema. BAM BAM is his most ambitious project to date, marking his first entry into the sci-fi genre and the opening of a planned trilogy.