Jade Osiberu Redefining Nollywood: From ‘Gidi Up’ To ‘Gangs Of Lagos’, Here Is How She’s Pushing Boundaries In The Movie Industry
Oyo state-born movie director and producer, Jade Osiberu is being applauded for her vision and impeccable execution of the 2023 blockbuster movie, Gangs of Lagos. An action-packed movie that has become the first Nigerian original film set to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
The film was released on Good Friday, April 7 receiving predominantly positive reviews from pundits across the globe.
Gangs of Lagos is coming barely a year after Brotherhood, another crime thriller was released. While Brotherhood did not become an immediate hit, Gangs of Lagos has quickly etched its narrative in the hearts of its viewers.
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Prior to delving into the action and crime thriller genre of the Nigerian movie industry, Jade aided immensely in creating content and directing programs for Ndani TV, including “Gidi Up” and “The Juice.”
Jade Osiberu gained popularity after joining the GTBank Digital Marketing team and developing Ndani TV, a ground-breaking content marketing initiative that cemented the bank’s reputation as one of the most forward-thinking Nigerian banks online.
ALSO READ: Gangs Of Lagos: Here Is What Netizens Have To Say About New Nollywood Movie
Gidi Up
The web series, Gidi Up, released in 2013 served as Jade’s first major project. The Nigerian television and web drama series starred then-emerging actors, OC Ukeje, Deyemi Okanlawon, Somkele Iyamah, and Titilope Sonuga in lead roles.
The series follows the lives of four young adults (Obi, Tokunbo, Eki and Yvonne) who are pursuing success and independence in the city of Lagos, revealing the challenges they are faced with at every step of the way in their quest to achieve their dreams.
The title of the series is culled from the popular term “Las Gidi”, a nickname for Lagos city.
As at the time of this publication, there have been no plans for a third season.
Becoming A Force In The Movie Industry…
Osiberu founded Tribe85 Productions, her production firm, in 2017 with the intention of “presenting African stories to a worldwide audience.”
Jade‘s first feature movie and project with her organization was Isoken in 2017.
The movie written and directed by Osiberu, is about the difficulties an unmarried working-class lady faces while dealing with familial pressure and romantic interracial relationships in a contemporary Nigerian context.
Equally, the movie was also the focus of academic debates due to the eponymous character’s representation of feminism. The concept of the movie is designed to combat misogyny in Nigeria’s patriarchal society, according to Culture Custodian.
Several A-list actors, including Dakore Akande, Joseph Benjamin, Bolanle Olukanni, Damilola Attoh, Funke Akindele, Lydia Forson, Tina Mba, and others, appeared in Jade Osiberu’s debut feature film, Isoken.
She was nominated for an African Movie Academy Award for Best Director and won the best filmmaker at the 2018 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for her work as a director.
Other Works…
In 2019, Jade produced and wrote the comedy movie, Sugar Rush.
She did not produce in 2020, however, in 2021 she produced Ayinla, a movie biopic exploring the life of Ayinla Yusuf, popularly known as Ayinla Omowura; an Apala musician who was stabbed to death by his manager named Bayewu in a bar fight on May 6, 1980 at Abeokuta.
Other movies include Brotherhood and most recently, Gangs of Lagos.
She has been described as one of the most talented movie producers and directors pushing the boundaries and shattering stereotypes in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
