Nigerian filmmaker and cinematographer Nora Awolowo has been named a brand ambassador for Canon, five days after her film Black Market set a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening. The record-breaking screening, held at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos on September 26, 2026, drew 51,258 people, surpassing the previous benchmark of 43,624 set in 2015 by the Filipino film Felix Manalo.
Awolowo produced Black Market through her company, Rixel Studios, which had publicly stated plans as early as July 2026 to bring 50,000 people to a single screening of the film. Directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay, Black Market follows five market women caught up in a cross-border smuggling operation. Awolowo’s other film credits include the historical drama Lisabi: The Uprising and the short film Racket Queen, which was shot on a Canon EOS C400 cinema camera and screened by Canon in Lagos last year.
As Canon ambassador, Awolowo will work with the company on visual storytelling and mentorship initiatives for emerging African creators. Speaking on her appointment, she said she was incredibly grateful for the journey and for everyone who had believed in her and the stories that had trusted her with their images, tracing the moment back to her very first Canon camera.
