Meet The Jury

MEET THE JURY

SECOND EDITION

FIRST EDITION

MILDRED OKWO is a respected Nigerian film Director and Producer whose films have been nominated and won several prestigious awards including AMVCA, AMAA and “Publix du Prix” at Nollywood Paris.

A former Los Angeles based attorney, her sophomore film, The Meeting, was one of the top box office hits of 2012/13 and arguably set a quality standard for films in the Nigerian film industry.

In 2016, Okwo was named one of “50 Women Shaping Africa” by Elle Magazine South Africa and 100 Most influential people in Nigeria by Y’Naija.com. She is a founding member of the Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee and was recently featured in a BBC documentary about female Film Directors in Nigeria. Mildred has served as a Jury Member of Aswan Women’s International Film festival (AWIFF), Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), Africa Movie Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) and Ghana Golden Movie Awards.

Her latest film La Femme Anjola received several nominations and is the first Nollywood film to be distributed in North America by Magnolia Pictures. Ms. Okwo is the Chief Creative Officer at The Audrey Silva Company.

CHRIS ODEH is a trained mechanical engineer turned African filmmaker with close to 15 years in the film and TV journey. Chris started up as an associate Producer with Moments with Mo and have gone on to produce TV shows like healthy living with Dr. Ketch, Chapters with Yoyin Poju Oyemade, The Nancy Isime show season two and three, and other world-class TV shows. He has produced over 15 films ( some of which are films for tv) like; Learning Curve, Make a Move (AMVCA nominations), Dinner, Idemuza (AMVCA nomination), Cray People, Oloibiri (AMVCA), the classic Living in Bondage - Breaking Free (As line producer), Rattlesnake - the Ahanna Story, Nneka the pretty Serpent and Aki and Pawpaw, Choke, Tokunbo (coming soon), Once upon a time in Abuja (coming soon). Chris is the consulting producer for several film production companies like Ramseyfilms, Play Network studios, Homevida Sneeze Films, Project Arewa, Astra TV, Takeout Media, and Rightangle Productions.

He is the CEO and Senior Producer of Sozo Films, a one-stop hub for all TV and film production, committed to creating TV and online content, conscious messages for NGO's and short films; some of Sozo's clients include WaterAid, Save the Children, Christian Aid, OXFAM, Sesame Square NY, Office of the VP of Nigeria and more. Sozo Films also creates content for some TV houses like 360, Africa Magic, AMC, Startimes, Ebony Life TV, Africa XP, and more. Chris is the team lead of Coal 360, a training, consulting, and artist management firm. He is also a partner and manager of Ramsey Nouah and other Actors/Artiste in the entertainment industry.

Chris is passionate about raising young filmmakers through his annual masterclass with Chris Odeh program.

DANIEL ORIAHI is a Nigerian filmmaker and the Founder/CEO of House5 Production based in Lagos. His works have gained commercial success, International film festival selections, critical mention, and various awards.

His first film, MISFIT (2013), was an official selection at NollywoodWeek International Film Festival, Paris (2014) and Berlin International Film Festival (AfrikaMeka Section) 2014. Daniel's second feature film, TAXI DRIVER-OKO ASHEWO, was the third highest-grossing Nollywood film in Nigerian Cinemas in 2015, and was selected for the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Bazar/Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels and NollywoodWeek International Film Festival, Paris. He directed the movie SYLVIA which was nominated for the Overall Golden Movie Award in 2019 and is now available to watch on Amazon Prime.

Daniel has also directed and produced media content for several reputable media companies including; Africa Magic (M-Net), IrokoTV, EbonylifeTV, and FilmOne Production.

DRIKUS VOLSCHENK is one of South Africa’s top actors who has worked on almost 80 film, television and theatre productions, both locally and internationally. Drikus has starred in multiple award winning productions, alongside world class talent, including Idris Elba and Naomi Harris in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (20th Century Fox: 2013); Beauty (2011), the Queer Palm Award Winner at Cannes Film Festival, which was also the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards; Durban Poison (2013), which won the Best South African Feature Film at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).

He also starred in Dis ek, Anna (2015), which won six South African Film & Television Awards (SAFTAs), and was cast alongside Laurence Fishburne and Michael Nyqvist in the international series, Madiba (2017) distributed by Black Entertainment Television (BET), USA. He also featured in the American blockbuster, Batman vs Superman – Dawn of Justice (Warner Bros: 2016) and in addition, Drikus played alongside Sophie Okonedo and Sam Neil in, Skin (BBC Films: 2008), the biopic which won 19 international awards.

Well versed in the art of theatre and film, Drikus also lectures Film and Television, and is one of the top Screen Acting coaches on the African continent. He headed up the Screen Acting Department at AFDA in Johannesburg for several years. AFDA has won numerous local and international awards, including the student film Oscar (2013) and several other Academy awards Nominations the past few years. AFDA is a world class institution and member of CILECT, the International Association of top Film and TV Schools globally, representing over 60 countries, which produce 65% of the world’s blockbuster films and TV series.

In 2018, Drikus starred in the critically acclaimed dystopian science fiction series alongside Dylan O Brien and Rosa Salazar in the American Blockbuster, Maze Runner: Death Cure (20th Century Fox: 2018). The series is nominated for several awards including BreakTudo Awards (BTDAs) and Teen Choice Awards.

In his latest work he stars as one of the leading men in the remake of the iconic SA film, Fiela’s Child (SAFTA winner best feature film 2020) and is currently Head of Mo Abudu’s prestigous EbonyLife Creative Academy in Lagos, Nigeria, and heads up the screen acting department of the academy as well.

KUNLE IDOWU, popularly known as Frank Donga, is a Nigerian actor and comedian. He rose to fame through his viral comedy web series, THE INTERVIEW, for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy in the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) in 2015.

Frank Donga also won the Best Actor Award for his role in the movie, HAKKUNDE, at the African Film Festival and Cannes International Pan African Film Festival in 2018. He is one of the Nominees for Best Actor in a Comedy in the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA 2023) for his role in the movie, UNINTENTIONAL. He is also known for his role in movies like; THE WEDDING PARTY - 1 & 2, THREE THIEVES, SWALLOW, ONE LAGOS NIGHT, and most recently, JOLLY ROGER.

Although he has a Master’s Degree in Genetics, Frank started his career in the media as a Broadcast Journalist on NN24 News Channel (a CNN affiliate). He is also a Cinematographer, Editor, Writer, Animator, Photographer, and Filmmaker.

JOSEPHINE OBUDO is a Kenyan Filmmaker, Location and Post Sound Mixer with experience in documentaries, short and feature films, television, commercials, and corporate videos.

Josephine holds a BA in Film Technology from Kenyatta University. She is a Certified AVID ProTools Instructor with training in Competency-Based and Accelerated Learning.

Notable productions Josephine has been part of include the political documentary, NYANDENG (2020 The Whickers Film and TV Funding Award), the mental health feature film, LUSALA (2019 Best Film Nominee, Durban International Film Festival). She has worked on projects for the Government of Kenya, United Nations, Unilever, Aga Khan Foundation, Coke Studio Africa, Carrefour, ICEA Lion, Docubox East Africa, LBX Africa among others.

Josephine believes in George Lucas’ saying, “Sound is half the experience” and is passionate about sharing her skill set with upcoming filmmakers; She is currently running Sound for Film & TV Masterclass training as Head of Department at Ebonylife Creative Academy, Lagos-Nigeria.