Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji has said she would like to see stronger collaboration among African film industries.
Speaking on the Deadline Podcast, she said she had long hoped for more intercontinental productions within Africa and looked forward to the idea becoming a reality.
“I think my dream has always been that we have some intercontinental production within the African region. And I can’t wait to see that happen,” she said.
Genevieve, who produced and directed Lionheart, the first Nigerian film acquired by Netflix, said she was encouraged by the growing number of female producers, directors and filmmakers in Nigeria’s film industry.
She said the industry, though still young, had made significant progress over the years.
“Seeing a lot more female producers, directors, and filmmakers come up is also very inspiring to me. The industry is barely 40 years old, but we’ve achieved so much in such a short time,” she said.
The Imo State born actress added that she remained optimistic about the future of filmmaking in Africa, saying there was still more to achieve.
“I think we just started. I think, you know, time is still very young, and we have a lot more to achieve.”
Genevieve, who was recently recognised at the Red Sea Film Foundation Women in Cinema gala during the 79th Cannes Film Festival, also spoke about the richness of African storytelling.
She said she hoped African stories would gain wider global attention and help audiences better understand Nigeria and the continent.
“The stories that come out of Nigeria, I can’t wait for people to actually see the depth of who we are as a nation, as a culture, as a continent, Africa as a whole,” she added.
After a long break from acting, the Nollywood veteran is set to return to screen in Wahala, a six part thriller series produced by BBC Studios and based on a novel.
The series is adapted from Wahala, the 2022 novel by Nikki May. It follows the lives and friendships of British Nigerian women and explores identity, ambition and relationships. The television adaptation is being developed by BBC Studios in collaboration with writer Theresa Ikoko.
