In The Weekend, a Nigerian psychological thriller directed by Daniel Oriahi, what begins as a seemingly harmless family reunion spirals into a nightmarish gathering where secrets, ritual, and bloodshed intertwine. Since its 2024 debut, the film has served as a key moment in Nollywood’s international posture, recently securing distribution deals with HBO Max and Canal+. For Uche Okocha, the Managing Director of Trino Motion Pictures, the production company behind the film, this milestone comes from a well-executed strategy, one that combines calculated experimentation with bold narrative ambition.
Okocha is intentional about clarifying the film’s place in history. While Eyimofe (This Is My Desire) (2024) a film directed by the Esiri brothers, previously secured a spot on HBO Max, The Weekend stands as the first independently produced Nollywood thriller to achieve that feat. Beyond being just, a signifier of Trino’s breakthrough into a new market, this development is a reminder of the power of genre in pushing storytelling boundaries.
Trino Motion Pictures has dabbled in diverse genres, from comedy to drama, thriller, and romance. Its filmography includes Sylvia (2018), Three Thieves (2019), The Razz Guy (2021), The One for Sarah (2022) and KM17 (2024). These earlier efforts mostly focused on broad global licensing agreements through streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. With The Weekend, the strategy was different. Rather than sticking with a limited, all-encompassing deal, the team adopted an expansive template, exploring new territories, venturing into Central and European markets.
“It’s a huge achievement for us as a company and for the industry as a whole,” Okocha reacts to the HBO Max deal. “It signifies opportunity in the sense that this is a market that is showing that they are interested in our stories. And also, they’re curious to see what is going on in our territory.”
The journey of The Weekend began from wanting to tell a familiar story with universal elements through African lenses. From the outset, the team were intentional about how they wanted the story presented to the audience. The plan was to build bridges and try out new distribution models.
First, they would get the film into a major film festival, succeeding with a world premiere at the Tribeca Festival in New York, USA in June 2024. This triggered interests from distributors and sales agents in different territories all over the world, with Trino choosing to do business with the Film Sales Company, a New York-city based outfit that specialises in both critically acclaimed and commercial projects.
Okocha further recalls: “We told them exactly what we wanted for this film. We didn’t want the traditional model that we had used for the rest of our titles. We were open to trying new things: that is, new terms, streaming platforms, distribution partnerships. That gave our partners the flexibility to produce a strategy for us to work on that together.”
Through this partnership, The Weekend got licensed to the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS Australia), after which it entered into a structured arrangement granting Kava rights in limited territories and HBO Max, greater access. Around the same period, through distribution partners Ifind Pictures, Trino entered into negotiations with Canal+ for the licensing of the French-dubbed version of The Weekend to Francophone territories.
After a screener was submitted, accompanied by highlights of the film’s performance to date, including 16 nominations at the 20th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA 2024), the deal was successfully concluded. In addition, Trino is currently exploring opportunities in Portuguese-speaking regions, while also hoping to reach China and other Asian markets.
Asked about the inspiration behind a pan-Francophone rollout, Okocha points to an existing precedent since 2020, particularly with Sylvia, Three Thieves and The Razz Guy. So, with The Weekend, it was business as usual. “We are in the business of producing and distributing intellectual property, and we understand that language should never be a restriction, especially when a market shows interest in African films,” says Okocha in defence.
The importance of genre to the success of The Weekend cannot also be overemphasized. Psychological thrillers, Okocha opines, tend to travel more effectively than culturally specific genres like comedy or romance. A reliance on universal emotions such as fear, tension and survival makes them more relatable to diverse audiences. This thematic universality softened the pathway for The Weekend, as it ended up screening at over 27 festivals worldwide, becoming a first of such scale for Trino.
Still, the foundation of this success lies in quality. Platforms like HBO Max demand high standards: from quality storytelling to uncompromising talents and acting. This is why films like Eyimofe and The Weekend made it there. Okocha believes the door remains wide open for other independent filmmakers that can take advantage of it.
While Nollywood is a fertile ground, it has been constantly besieged by distribution challenges. Global streamers like Netflix and Prime Video lately approach the market with caution. The rise of local alternatives like Kava, Circuits and EbonyLife Plus suggests a march towards self-owned-and-sustained systems. But these efforts towards industry growth and structure, Okocha believes, does not hinge solely on streaming platforms. He says there is a dearth of business-oriented filmmakers, which is correctable when more individuals put in the work to fully grasp the business of film and television.
Trino, however, has already taken matters into its hands. Last year, the production outfit partnered with Nigerian International Film and TV Summit to launch the International Sales and Distribution Executive Program, which is designed to train filmmakers in film and television business. The program will continue this year, with Trino hoping to expand the pool of knowledgeable filmmakers. “The more creators we have, the more businesses we have, so that you have enough people that can create strategies for you to get your film out there and secure deals in different territories, regardless of what is not available,” Okocha says with conviction.
As Nollywood continues to take shape and adapt to the shifting realities of global storytelling, Trino embraces its place and identity in a wider ecosystem. In approaching projects, the company prioritises high-concept ideas, interesting characters and strong rewatch value. Its development processes stem from a healthy network of independent writers and team attuned to sniffing out narratives with potentials in their embryonic stage while positioning for global impact. “We develop these stories, go into production, and create a strategy on how we’re going to get it to the audience,” Okocha says.
In view of what is to come, the company’s slate reflects a predisposition to evolution. Formats like web series, micro dramas, animation and features already occupy the development pipeline, with no limitations on grounds to explore.
“Our business is in production and sales,” Okocha reiterates. “We’re not close to any specific genre. We want to be able to make all genres in the coming years.”
The Weekend already shows the way with a model demonstrating how the fusion of strategy, creative clarity and global taste can catapult Nollywood films beyond traditional circles. Yet, more than just a pat on the back, this milestone goads Uche Okocha and Trino Motion Pictures towards a promising future fuelled by relentless experimentation and an attitude for growth.