Pitch Jury |
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UCHE OKOCHA
Managing Director, Trino Motion Pictures |
Uche Okocha, an alumnus of the prestigious University of Lagos, is a co-founder and Managing Director of Trino Motion Pictures. He began his career as a trainee production executive at Trino Studios Limited in 2013 and quickly rose to head Development and Acquisitions in 2016. With his Producing Foundation & Scriptwriting certifications from the London Film Academy, Uche Okocha has become an expert in the film industry and is now the Managing Director of Trino Motion Pictures Limited.
As the MD, Uche oversees the development and acquisition of screenplays, physical production, marketing, domestic distribution, and foreign sales deals. His passion for film is evident in his work, as he has produced the nominated feature films Three Thieves, The Razz Guy, and The Weekend. He is a visionary producer who understands the importance of storytelling and is dedicated to bringing captivating films to audiences worldwide. |
DEEPTI DCUNHA
Film Programmer |
Deepti DCunha is a Mumbai-based Film Programmer specialising in Contemporary Indian & South Asian Cinema. She is currently a Consultant with Fondazione Prada Film Fund and was the Artistic Director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in 2023 and 2024. Between 2011 and 2022, she was the sole features curator and programmer for ‘Viewing Room’ and the ‘Work-in-Progress Lab’ at NFDC Film Bazaar. Over the past fifteen years, she has been a consultant to prestigious international film festivals which include Venice, Rome, Locarno, Directors' Fortnight at Cannes, Pingyao in China and Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia championing emerging independent voices from South Asia.
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JAMES OMOKWE
Film Producer |
Award-winning filmmaker and visionary director James Omokwe is a powerhouse in African storytelling, renowned for his ability to craft compelling narratives that resonate with global audiences. With over 49,000 minutes of television to his credit, he has created some of the continent’s most groundbreaking shows, including Ajoche, Riona, and Diiche, critically acclaimed series that have redefined African drama for platforms like Showmax and M-Net.
As the founder of Feemo vision ltd, Omokwe has championed innovative storytelling, mentoring emerging filmmakers and pushing the boundaries of African cinema. His work blends rich cultural authenticity with cinematic excellence, earning him accolades such as the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). A pioneer in Nigeria’s digital content revolution, Omokwe continues to shape the future of African entertainment, proving that local stories can captivate the world. |
NOMSO OPARA
Founder, Tentz TV |
Nomso Opara is a filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer with over a decade of experience crafting compelling narratives across thriller and drama. Beyond his work behind the camera, Nomso is the founder of Tentz, a pioneering infrastructure platform dedicated to empowering Africa’s independent filmmakers with the tools, funding, distribution, and monetisation pathways they need to bring their stories to global audiences. His unique position at the intersection of storytelling and systems-thinking shaped by 10+ years as a senior product and strategy leader across fintech and data platforms gives him a rare lens through which to evaluate film: one that values both creative vision and the structures that allow great work to reach the world.
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OMOTAYO INAJOKU
Media & Entertainment Lawyer |
Omotayo is a seasoned Film and Intellectual Property Lawyer with over a decade of hands-on experience advising, structuring, and negotiating for the African entertainment ecosystem.
She currently serves as the Head of Legal at EbonyLife Group, where she leads legal strategy across film, television, and streaming projects. In this role, she works directly with global studios and distributors including Netflix, Sony Pictures, FilmOne Entertainment, Nile Group and Genesis Group. This gives her a front-row view of the evolving legal and infrastructural demands of content distribution in the digital age. Before joining EbonyLife, Omotayo began her career at Silverbird Group, one of Nigeria’s pioneering media brands where she managed high-value partnerships, broadcast transactions, and cross-border collaborations. Her experience at Silverbird laid a strong foundation for her deep understanding of film distribution, regulatory compliance, and content exploitation at scale. Across her career, she has distinguished herself by: • Providing strategic, context-specific legal advisory to both international and local film studios, streamers, producers, and talent. • Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex film production/distribution and licensing agreements essential to modern content production and distribution. • Guiding companies through compliance requirements for media, data, copyright, and digital distribution in an increasingly tech-driven ecosystem. • Representing production companies and talent in high-stakes negotiations to close co-production, streaming, and financing deals. Deeply invested in the future of Africa’s creative economy, Omotayo advocates for stronger legal and infrastructural frameworks to help African content compete globally. She firmly believes that with the right structures, from IP management to distribution systems, content can become the next major economic engine for African nations. |
MICHAEL NGEMA
Founder & Director, Umlazi International Film Festival (UIFF) |
Michael Ngema is a South African film industry entrepreneur, creative producer, and cultural strategist from Umlazi Township in KwaZulu-Natal. He is the Founder and Director of the Umlazi International Film Festival (UIFF), a platform dedicated to discovering, developing, and showcasing emerging filmmakers while creating access to the global film industry for township talent.
Ngema is a Director of Photography (DOP), Content developer and Executive Producer whose work spans film production, industry development, and creative entrepreneurship. Through his leadership, UIFF has evolved beyond a festival into a growing ecosystem that includes Emerging Filmmakers Incubation Hub and other initiatives aimed at strengthening the African film value chain. |
Speakers |
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OGE OBASI
Film Producer |
Oge Obasi has a production experience spanning over a decade; having worked on various formats for TV and film, on such projects as The Figurine, Amstel Malta Box Office, Miss Earth Nigeria, Heineken's Champion's Planet, Desperate Housewives Africa, and MTV Base Shuga where she worked in the capacities of production coordinator and production manager.
Her latest project is Mami Wata - the female-driven supernatural thriller based on the Mermaid Goddess folklore of West Africa, directed by C.J. "Fiery" Obasi. Mami Wata was developed with Ouaga Film Lab, the European AudioVisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) Producers, Le Groupe Ouest’s Less is More, Durban Film Mart (DFM), and has been presented at Final Cut in Venice, and Yennenga Post- Production Workshop in FESPACO, where it received the Post- Production Grant from the Red Sea International Film Festival and the Swiss Fund, Visions Sud Est. Mami Wata premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Award for Cinematography. It has since garnered several awards and nominations, including an Independent Spirit Awards, and an NAACP Image Awards nomination. Mami Wata has been distributed theatrically and on SVOD in North America, UK and Ireland, Switzerland (including Liechtenstein), Germany (including Austria) and BENELUX (Belgium, The Netherlands & Luxembourg), Brazil, France, Australia and many others. MAMI WATA was Nigeria’s Official Submission for the 2024 Oscars. |
STEPHANIE IZSAK
Writer & Director |
Stephanie Izsak is an award-winning writer and director and one of Canada’s most exciting emerging genre filmmakers. After years acting in large-scale studio television productions—including 4 seasons on CW’s The Flash—she pivoted behind the camera, with her films screening at 25+ international festivals, earning major awards and critical accolades. Her work has been featured in Dread Central, Daily Dead, Horror Fuel, and she appeared as a panelist on CBC’s 50th-anniversary retrospective of 1974's Canadian horror classic 'Black Christmas'. Passionate about the future of Canadian independent film, Stephanie also works as a development coordinator with Area V5 and is an advisory council member of Filmable, a filmmaking non-profit seeking to enrich and expand independent film in British Columbia.
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OLOLADE OLONIYO
Founder, Sterfield Advisory |
Ololade Oloniyo is the Founder of Star-Field Africa, a Pan-African advisory firm serving businesses, governments, and corporate clients across local and international markets. She specializes in regulatory compliance, fundraising and investment structuring, and strategic legal advisory, helping organizations unlock growth opportunities and build sustainable, future-ready businesses.
She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and Licensing International, Ololade was recognized in 2023 as a Global Rising Star by Licensing International, a World Intellectual Property Leader, and a MEA Business Awardee. She has trained over 200 African creatives across Nigeria, Gambia, Kenya, South Africa and Rwanda, strengthening capacity in film distribution, production, screenwriting, and the broader business of film. |
CASSANDRA ONWUALU
Multilingual Content Sales & Acquisition Executive |
Cassandra Onwualu is a multilingual Content Sales & Acquisitions Executive and Impact Producer passionate about artistically daring, culturally resonant, and commercially viable African stories that travel across borders.
She holds a B.A. in Communication & Public Relations from École Supérieure de Gestion et du Commerce International (ESGCI) in Paris, grounding her work in strategic, cross-cultural communication. Cassandra is an International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) fellow and an alumna of the Moving Pictures Distribution & Marketing Incubator by Some Fine Day Pix in partnership with GIZ Germany. Through her work, she bridges markets, elevates African storytelling, and positions powerful narratives for meaningful global impact. |
PRINCE NNAMDI ADIGWU
Producer & Media Strategist |
Prince Nnamdi Adigwu is a film producer and media strategist working at the intersection of content, financing, and global distribution. He is the Founder of Andlyn Global Entertainment, through which he develops, produces, and consults on film and television projects, structuring financing and distribution across international markets. He also serves as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Magic Carpet Studios, where he drives cross-border collaborations and IP development. Prince is an Advisor to Filmporte and the Africa Film Finance Forum, and is actively engaged in building sustainable pathways for African stories to scale globally.
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Aondofa Shija
Business Analyst & Box Office Specialist |
Aondofa Shija is a film business analyst and box office specialist shaping data driven decision making in Nigeria’s cinema industry. With over seven years of experience, he tracks audience behaviour, market trends, and theatrical performance across Nollywood and international releases. He is Editor in Chief of the Nile Film Business Intelligence Reports and contributes to industry publications and conversations on distribution and cinema strategy. Aondofa has worked across reporting, forecasting, and release strategy, supporting film and cinema performance and market positioning. His work focuses on making African storytelling commercially viable through clear insights and practical industry application.
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