Myde Glover’s Shift to Purpose-Driven Filmmaking

Unlike many creatives who discover their calling early, Myde Glover believes filmmaking found him. His shift from actor to purpose-driven filmmaker reflects a commitment to stories that outlive their runtime. With a background in acting and theatre, he gradually expanded into writing, producing, and directing. His screen appearances include “Strangers”, “Slum King”, “A Danfo Christmas”, and “I Still Love You”. Still, it’s behind the camera that Glover is making his most distinct mark.

What sets Glover apart is his focus on human-centered stories that spotlight underrepresented experiences. After refining his skills at EbonyLife Academy and MultiChoice Talent Factory, he began to carve a space for stories with emotional and social depth. His latest project, “Everything Light Touches”, reflects this approach. The film follows Abayomi (played by Eric Emeka), an autistic boy forced to navigate an unfamiliar world after becoming lost. With its core message—“be kind to everyone around you, regardless of who they are”—the film stood out among student projects, eventually winning big at the 2025 AMVCAs.

But Glover’s ambitions extend beyond a single film. The project, co-directed by Elma Baisie and Emmanuel Adejo “Story Priest” Emmanuel and co-produced by Morenikeji Uka, also explores how raising a special needs child shapes family dynamics. To ensure authenticity, Glover and his team conducted in-depth research on autism and neurodiversity, reflecting a thoughtful approach that has become central to his work.

Now preparing for his next film under Magic Media Studios, Glover is turning his focus to mental health. It’s a theme he believes Nollywood needs to explore more deeply—and one that aligns with his mission to create space for emerging voices. As he balances multiple roles in an increasingly competitive industry, Glover is clear about his goal: to tell stories that matter, and to open doors for others ready to do the same.

In this exclusive interview with The Nollywood Reporter, he discusses how he juggles creative responsibilities, why mental health stories matter, what success looks like to him, and how he hopes to pave the way for the next generation of storytellers.

TNR: Can you share a bit about yourself and how your love for filmmaking began?

Myde Glover: I am a filmmaker; actor, producer, writer, director. I know this may sound cliche but filmmaking chose me. I don’t really remember seeing anything that sparked my interest, I just know that from the moment I knew my left from right, I wanted to do what I am doing right now. I have always wanted to be an actor and as I grew older, the love for other things like writing, producing came. So I studied Theatre Arts in the university, unlike in international film schools where you get a degree for filmmaking, but because we don’t have that here in Nigeria, I did have to do theatre and media arts. My love for all aspects of filmmaking was also nurtured in Federal University, Oye Ekiti, which is why I say that it is a calling because God just chose me to do this. My background in theatre has helped me in Nollywood a lot especially in terms of discipline regarding the craft and being grounded. Some of the things I have picked up as a  thespian or as someone who studied it in school is that it helps me lay out my day to day life either as a producer or writer.

Which one came first for you, acting, producing, writing or directing and how have you been able to effectively balance all of them so far?

It has always been acting. I only began to produce, direct and write after. And to be honest, I have always done all those things,  back then I would gather my friends around in school and do a production which and what producing is about- management, bringing together a team to make something. I have always been that person but I never knew that it was something that I wanted to do at that time, I just knew that I wanted to be an actor. However, when I got into the industry professionally in 2020, I realized that it isn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be, there were a lot of challenges and options. For example, when I go to auditions and there isn’t any call backs because there are a lot of people who have skills and physique like me so I had to have a rethink on what makes me special. And that was when I decided that I could also create opportunities for myself, my peers and friends so I started to write my own screen plays. I had to learn everything professionally. I failed, picked myself up again, went to film school and did everything I could do to be a better version of myself.  I would say on a scale of preference,  it would be acting, producing, writing and directing. That’s how I would place myself as a filmmaker.

For the other part,  it is by knowing that I don’t have to do everything by myself. Sometimes I am just the writer, sometimes just the producer, sometimes I can be just writer and producer and then sometimes I am the actor and the producer but  it’s knowing that I don’t have to do everything myself. Even if I am doing everything, there has to be a solid reason why I am doing that. Again I surround myself with amazing creatives who remind me that i don’t have to do it all alone or do everything. For my next film, I am not the writer but I am an actor and director on it as there are other producers who are on the project. I know when to take a step back and let other people lead , I know when to come in, I know when a project doesn’t need my vision and I am able to balance it that way so i don’t burn out.

As an actor, you have acted in projects like “Strangers”, “Slum King”, “A  Danfo Christmas” and “Collide” which you directed, how do you breathe life into each of these different characters?

Personally the way that I see life is that no two individuals are the same, which is also how I see characters. Every character is different and when you  are given a role that is similar to one that you have played before, it is just about finding the difference, even if it is the smallest detail i.e the things that make us as individuals unique from one another. So when I get characters, I try to find their uniqueness and I try to build the character/person. When I got “Slum King”, I had to build who I was, same with the rest of my roles. I take inspiration from everything and everyone around me. I am hoping it shows because as a performer my joy is for people to see my characters and not me, even in the smallest roles I play.

You are an alumni of the MultiChoice Talent Factory, West Africa, how did that experience impact you personally and professionally as a filmmaker?

Professionally, there were certain things that I didn’t do which I learnt in the Multichoice Talent Factory like editing, sound design and co, so it helped me become a better filmmaker in all the aspects that I am passionate about. I am able to make creative decisions that will impact the film that I am currently making. I tell people that in film school, it is important to learn but also network because those people are my tribe for life. Before MultiChoice, I went to Ebonylife film school and in every project I make, you will definitely find one or two of them in it because I always put my people on because they are incredibly talented. Same as MultiChoice, they are always going to be a part of every project I make as well and we work together in the departments that they specialize in. It helped me be a much better filmmaker, who is very confident in the choices they make. Personally, it is more about how to relate with people because we camped together for a year.

Talking about your award winning project, “Everything Light Touches”, what was the inspiration behind the project and how did it feel seeing your vision come to life?

 It was my first time producing a feature film. I wouldn’t take credit for the story. I was in film school and part of a one year intensive training was learning everything filmmaking, like directing, producing, sound, editing, everything you can possibly think of under filmmaking. After which, we go to pitch different stories. A very good friend of mine, Adejo “Story Priest” Emmanuel, the co writer and director of the film, who was my roommate at that time had an idea for a story about an autistic boy who gets lost, and the team built on that. I worked as the executive producer so I was in charge of a lot of creative decisions that were made, but I won’t take credit for the story. However, seeing the vision come to life, I think I am very intentional about the things I do. Another thing I don’t give myself credit for is the casting. I was very great with casting, and myself and the co producer, Morenikeji Uka were very intentional about the locations, costumes, actors who will play the roles, and so basically seeing everything come out well made us very proud of the film. Putting us the filmmakers in place of the audience, if the audience could be proud of the project then we have achieved our goals as filmmakers. I was very impressed with what the entire team had created as we made a film that will last a lifetime genuinely. It was amazing making the film, ticking the boxes, because as a producer like I always say, you are laying the foundation, and every other person gets to build on it and we had worked really hard on the foundation of everything you can think about. I didn’t think we would win the AMVCA because I was really scared and I genuinely wanted us to win, but it wasn’t up to me or the team. The award for me was crowning the efforts because we made a really good film.

One of the subject matter in the film is autism. How did you and your team approach such an important but sensitive matter, especially since there aren’t a lot of projects that tackle it?

Like I said, when we got the idea, we decided that we needed to make something different, which will not milk the autistic and special needs individuals so there was intentionality in that. We did a lot of research as personally I don’t know anyone who is autistic, but in my team, we had people who had relations with an autistic person. Morenikeji and I went to a special needs school, read, and watched videos online as well. More importantly, we went with the actor, Eric Emeka, who is our lead character to the school where we spent a day among them, just being with them. We talked, ate with them and through that, we saw everything we needed to see which helped everyone in the team. It is a very sensitive theme so we understood that we aren’t here to joke. we couldn’t make something that autistic people will watch and be offended by. The best reviews we have gotten are from people who are saying it was a very accurate representation of an autistic person. I got a message from someone who had watched the film with his autistic brother, who got very emotional from feeling seen. Having to do something like that in Nigeria, where we have limited films that represent autistic people, is such a bragging right and I am proud to be a part of making the film. We did know that we needed to be careful, intentional, and preach, because the voice of one represents thousands of others. I remember while filming, Emeka was being called nasty names like imbecile, so it just made sense that we did this film to let people know as many are ignorant. In the development stages, we did fear misrepresentation, but it only fueled us to research and do it better.

What message did you want viewers to take away from this impactful culm especially as people often shy away from discussing the topic of autism and neurodivergence in children and adults?

As much as who the story centres around is autistic, there are a lot of messages that the film tries to talk about, it is also about being kind to people, it doesn’t cost anything to be kind or nice. Just like the title of the film, “Everything Light Touches”, light shines in different places. Even in the midst of the agberos you see around, there is a preconceived notion that all of them are bad, but there is still light there, so you need to extend grace. I am grateful to Ifeanyi Barbara Chidi, who was our story consultant. She was the creator of “Cheta M” and is incredibly brilliant. There was a lot of mirroring in the story, so this boy goes from one world to another and he extends his light on them, so we see that even in the midst of bad, there is still good. There is also a message for parents in there, there is tendency to sideline other children because you have a special needs child, which is what the mother (Tope Olowoniyan) does and so there are a lot of messages in there to be discussed and learnt. Personally, what I take from the film is to be kind, regardless of who the person is as you never know what the other person is going through. If you don’t know about something, research because a tiny bit of kindness can save a life.

As a filmmaker, how important is mental health to you and how do you practice it?

I don’t play with the topic of mental health. Through the projects I make, I highlight it as well like I did in “Collide.” In my next film which will soon start filming, it also has an element of mental health so I don’t play with it. I think it is important not just for filmmakers but as individuals because we live in the part of the world where we don’t talk about it, therapy is still frowned upon. Nobody talks about it, especially as Black and African people. I am in the journey of taking care of my mental state as well. I reached out for help when things were difficult for me and it helped me a lot just talking to somebody. Due to the fact that therapy can be quite expensive, finding a good support and listening ear goes a long way, like a good friend who you can talk to. Physically, I try to rest a lot. Last year, I took on a lot of projects which made me lose weight, but this year, I am taking it easier, I am not rushing to create, unless it is needed. My dad constantly tells me to take care of Myde. It is also about having a family that cares and supports you. I try to rest and eat well. It just remains going to the gym, it is just laziness but I will start it very soon. We need to talk about it (mental health) even in the films we make because it is very important as people are losing themselves and their lives over the things they face and talking to somebody will make a huge difference.

What does success mean to you as a person?

For me, success is the impact I leave when I am gone. I want to be remembered for good, for my projects and the lives it touches. In this regard, I won’t say monetary, of course I want money but mine will be to make projects that will live on, the ones that will last, which people can study, relate, laugh and cry to. Even when I am no more, so my children and generation will be proud to be associated with my lineage, that would make me feel successful.

Talking about your production company, Magic Media Studios, what are you hoping to achieve with your company in the filmmaking industry and how will it impact young and emerging filmmakers like yourself?

The company was birthed by a young and emerging filmmaker as well. I want to be able to create opportunities for people. I know what it is like to want an opportunity and be seen, because if one person can just give me a chance to prove myself then another person can see it. I am always grateful to the filmmakers that have given me an opportunity because they made me who I am. My regard and gratitude goes to Biodun Stephen because she is the first person to put me on. The first project I was on was through her then appearing on Prime, African Magic and Netflix was through her as well. And I know how that felt for me, so I want to do that for more people and that is a goal for my company. I am excited when people say I was featured in a project by Magic Media, that is success for me and my company. Our tagline is our stories, our world because if we don’t tell our stories, outsiders will tell it for us and they will not tell it well. So for us, it is about creating our stories. I love human angle stories. I want and love to see myself or my friends being represented on screen with relatability, which is also a goal of Magic Media to create stories that will travel to international film festivals like Cannes, Berlin festivals. Films that will put Africa on the map, telling authentic stories about Africa for Africa,  we also want to create opportunities for many people and we just want to tell stories.

“Everything Light Touches” premiered on African Magic and is available to watch on Showmax.