Mo Abudu, the Nigerian media mogul behind EbonyLife Media, has launched a new label, Mo Abudu Films, that aims to broaden the spectrum of Nigerian cinema by making more “personal and intimate” films that champion “the voices and perspectives of underrepresented communities.”
The label will also serve as a vehicle for Abudu’s directorial ambitions.
The prolific producer of such Nigerian box office hits as Fifty and The Wedding Party as well as TV series including Netflix’s Blood Sisters has helmed two short films, Her Perfect Life and Iyawo Mi (My Wife), that will mark the first titles on the Mo Abudu Films slate.
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Both projects address mental health issues, a taboo subject in Nigeria and throughout much of Africa.
Her Perfect Life follows Onajite Johnson Ibrahim (Pearl Thusi), a 30-something woman who appears, on Instagram, to have the ideal life — a flourishing career, a loving husband (Ahmed Ibrahim) and two bright and beautiful children — but is secretly suffering from depression and contemplating suicide.
Iyawo Mi looks at mental health among Nigeria’s poorest, in a story of a Kunle (Lateef Adedimeji), a young married man whose wife Eniola (Bolaji Ogunmola) has had a mental breakdown and has begun to hallucinate, screaming at their children and neighbors and threatening to kill everyone around her. Kunle tries to take matters into his own hands, with tragic consequences.
“We believe that through our work, we can ignite conversations and spark positive change,” says Abudu, sharing a mission statement for the new cinema label, “while paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable world.”
Iyawo Mi and Her Perfect Life will screen in the Cannes Short Film Corner, an industry section of the Cannes festival intended to highlight new directing talent, later this month. Both have also been invited to the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, which runs August 4-12.
