The Nigerian movie scene over the years has harboured several talented and creative filmmakers who have dedicated themselves to keep our screen busy. One of them is the budding filmmaker that has made a huge impact on the Nigerian movie purview with his unique and sophisticated storytelling, his name is Olamide Akinmolayan. A graduate of English and Literature, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State.
Akinmolayan’s sojourn in the filmmaking scene has been in the works for over three decades. The filmmaker was born into a household of entertainers and performing arts enthusiasts. His father was a cinematographer and this made him cherish cameras while observing the way his father handled and worked with it. Though, as a child he had love for the camera until the love became a dream, and from dream to becoming a reality. And this reality is being a filmmaker. Olamide Akinmolayan identified several filmmakers and their works which had influenced his career in Nollywood. He cited movies such as Oleku by Tunde Kelani, Figurine by Kunle Afolayan, King of Boys by Kemi Adetiba, The Trade by Jade Osiberu and a host of other movies that have made a huge impact in his career.
Olamide Akinmolayan as a promising creative filmmaker has achieved great feats with his movies. His first feature film ‘Balokun’ was in 2019. He directed the movie, and this got him an award at the Abuja International Film Festival as a first time director in a feature film. The movie later got nominated at the 2022 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) under the best indigenous film (Yoruba) category.
His latest movie ‘Akudaaya’ got nominated for two categories at the Best of Nollywood at BON Awards 2024. The Best of Nollywood Awards, popularly known as BON, is an annual event that celebrates outstanding achievements in the Nigerian movie industry. BON aims to recognize and honor exceptional filmmakers such as Olamide Akinmolayan who have made significant contributions to the industry.
Akudaaya was nominated under two categories ‘Best Special Effect’ alongside groundbreaking movies like Jagun Jagun, OffShoot, Unknown Soja and Orisa. It was also nominated in the Best Indigenous movie category. This shows his huge creativity in the movie scene. The nominations further affirmed his prowess in the filmmaking industry. According to the filmmaker, the nominations made him feel honoured and recognized to see his name mentioned amongst names he idolize in the Nigerian movie industry. He believes this shows he is doing the right thing.
“Akudaaya” was written, produced, and directed by Olamide Akinmolayan. The movie production featured professionals in the field such as Akin Alabi who brought the film to life with his creative vision as director of photography and editor. According to Olamide Akinmolayan, the movie is an African story on the myth of dead people given a second chance to fulfill purpose. He believed because of the African origin of the myth, this had inspired to write on it. The inspiration draws from a true event and hearsays. The movie tells the inspiring story of a man who gets a rare second chance to change his life. The movie specifically portrayed the myth of reincarnation, of how after death, the dead might be given a second chance to come back to life and fulfill a particular purpose. Such tales seem to be a fallacy and scary to some people, but as an African man with in-depth cultural beliefs, Olamide Akinmolayan saw the need to tell such stories to help reshape or redefine the narratives of the myth. The movie success can’t be praised without the acting prowess of the starred cast which includes Nollywood veterans like Sola Sobowale, Olumide Oworu, Razaq Owokoniran, Hafiz Oyetoro, Yomi Fash-Lanso, Bukunmi Oluwashina, and many more.
Akudaaya is a movie that sustains the audience’s curiosity with its engaging direction, beautiful cinematography, and skilled editing, “Akudaaya” promises an unforgettable cinematic experience. The film encourages viewers to reflect on their own lives and consider the power of second chances and personal choices in shaping their destiny.
Despite his groundbreaking achievements and feats, Olamide Akinmolayan persists in pushing his career forward and creating greater movies than his previous ones. He tends to do more than his previous achievements. At the moment, he is working on a new script, a movie he plans to work on in 2025. According to him, the movie is an African tale of love, family, obedience, society and the impact of fate on human lives. He believes it is a big story. He aims to look out for investors so that it can be easier for him to produce. He further revealed that more African stories are coming from his end. This depicts how the filmmaker is well grounded with African culture and norms, and the enthusiasm towards promoting them not only to the African screens but also worldwide, to the Non-Africans.
and then