British-Nigerian filmmaker Simisolaoluwa Akande has been selected as one of 10 emerging filmmakers for the latest edition of the Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellowship.
Chosen from more than 1,100 applicants, Akande is the only Nigerian filmmaker in this year’s cohort. The fellowship supports emerging storytellers between the ages of 18 and 25 through mentorship, workshops and creative development opportunities.
The yearlong program begins with the Ignite Lab at MASS MoCA in Massachusetts before continuing with monthly webinars and a curated program at the 2027 Sundance Film Festival in Boulder, Colorado. Fellows also receive a $5,000 artist grant and a one-year Adobe Creative Cloud membership.
Speaking with The Nollywood Reporter, Akande described the selection as an important moment in her filmmaking journey.
“It’s such an honour to have been selected as a Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellow,” she said. “Any artist knows how difficult it can be to keep creating against all odds, and fellowships like these are a lifeline.”
Akande’s fellowship project, Baby, is her narrative directorial debut. Written by Mojola Akinyemi and starring Mamley Djangmah and Jadesola Odunjo, the short explores the impact of sex trafficking on Nigerian girls in Europe through the story of two sisters navigating trauma and displacement.
The film premiered at the 69th BFI London Film Festival in 2025 and later won Best Cinematography at the Aesthetica Film Festival.
According to Akande, she and cinematographer Scarlett Gardner developed a visual language that avoided voyeuristic depictions of trafficking victims while drawing inspiration from early Nollywood aesthetics.
“We embraced overexposure and shadow as part of the film’s visual language,” she explained.
Beyond Baby, Akande revealed that she is currently developing her feature directorial debut during the fellowship.
“During this fellowship, I am developing my feature debut set in Nigeria,” she said. “It’s a love story about two best friends on a journey across the country.”
Akande also expressed gratitude to Sundance Institute and Adobe for supporting filmmakers telling culturally specific stories with global relevance.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Sundance Institute and Adobe for their support,” she said. “I’m excited to continue telling stories that centre Nigerian lives with care, complexity and imagination.”
Founded in 2015, the Sundance Institute Ignite Fellowship has supported several young filmmakers whose projects later screened at Sundance and other international festivals including SXSW, Tribeca and Cannes.
Baby is funded by BFI Network and Eleven Film, and produced by Marauder Pictures.
