Nollywood has recorded another international milestone as Damilola Orimogunje’s Dear Ajayi wins two awards at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
The film received the Prix CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Prize (Fellini Medal), while its ensemble cast and performances were recognised with the Bisato d’Oro Award for Best Cast and Performances.
Dear Ajayi also made history as the first Nigerian production selected for the Venice Days competition, a section of the festival dedicated to independent and innovative filmmaking.
Set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s, the film follows estranged sisters Ade and Titi Ajayi, who are brought back together by the responsibility of caring for their paralysed mother. Their reunion brings questions of family, responsibility, faith and personal ambition to the surface.
The film features Bimbo Akintola, Tosin Adeyemi, Lanre Hassan, William Benson, Antar Laniyan, Uzoamaka Power, Michelle Dede, Chioma Omeruah, Tope Tedela and Baaj Adebule, among others.
For Nigerian cinema, Dear Ajayi’s Venice run adds another international spotlight to locally made stories and the filmmakers, actors and creative professionals behind them.
The film’s recognition comes as Nigerian productions continue to appear on major international festival stages, creating new opportunities for Nigerian cinema to reach audiences beyond the country.
