Nigerian filmmakers stamped their presence at the 2025 Red Sea International Film Festival and Red Sea Souk Project Market in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, underscoring the growing international presence of Nigeria on platforms that provide funding and co-production opportunities.
Held from December 6 to 10, 2025 as part of the Red Sea International Film Festival, the Souk Project Market showcased 40 diverse projects, with Nigerian titles standing out across multiple categories.
Among the selected filmmakers were Judith Audu (EVI), Temidayo Makanjuola, Ishaya Bako (I Do Not Come To You By Chance), Adeniyi J. Omobulejo (Landline), and Stephanie Dadet (At Ease), who presented five new TV projects developed under the ACTV Story Development & Showrunner Residency—a programme offering professional training, creative development, and industry-standard guidance for storytellers.
C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s La Pyramide, a multi-continental thriller co-produced across Nigeria, the UK, the US, Senegal, and Brazil, advanced to the Works-in-Progress section after being filmed in Brazil earlier this year. Cheta Chukwu’s To Catch a Falling Sky, a Nigerian-UK co-production, was featured in the Projects-in-Development strand, winning two awards: the Red Sea Souk Jury Special Mention Award with a cash prize of $15,000, and the Freshly Ground Stories & Fineprint In-Kind Award—Business & Legal Support, with a cash prize of $5,000.
Meanwhile, Tomi Folowosele and Orire Nwani’s Till Death Do Us Part, developed through the Red Sea Series Lab, emerged as a supernatural psychological thriller rooted in Nigerian culture and mythology. With tailored mentorship and networking opportunities involving US and international industry professionals, these filmmakers refined their projects into globally pitch-ready TV series.
The Red Sea International Film Festival continues to serve as a vital platform for filmmakers worldwide to present works-in-progress to producers, investors, and industry stakeholders, while also offering access to diverse funding streams through the Red Sea Fund. The strong Nigerian presence at this year’s edition highlights how Nigerian filmmakers are expanding their reach, evolving their craft, and positioning themselves on the global stage to realise ambitious creative visions.
