Kunle Afolayan, A Maestro of Nigerian Filmmaking

The creative profile of Kunle Afolayan, a celebrated Nigerian filmmaker who has continually reshaped the perception of African storytelling.

Kunle Afolayan is a Nigerian actor, director, and film producer born on September 30, 1975, in Ebute Metta, Lagos State, Nigeria. He is the eldest child of Adeyemi Josiah Afolayan, a famous theatre and film director-producer, and has three younger brothers and sisters: Moji, Aremu, and one more sibling. As an ardent cinematographer, his film projects have reshaped the perception of storytelling in the Nigerian movie industry, giving it more remarkable traction in recent years than ever before. These have equally earned him the reference "The Kubrick of Lagos" by The Guardian UK.

Being part of the Yoruba ethnic group, particularly the Igbomina subgroup, his ancestry is linked to South Western Kwara State. He is the CEO of Golden Effects Pictures, a Nigerian film and production company incorporated in 2005. In addition, KAP Motion Pictures was also established as a subsidiary in 2015 to take over the production of the films owned by Kunle Afolayan. 

In his early years, Kunle Afolayan schooled in Lagos State for both his primary and secondary education. He attended Nigerian Model Primary School and then went on to Federal Government College for his secondary education. He afterwards graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Lagos. He earned a diploma in digital filmmaking from the New York Film Academy in 2005.

Moving forward, he began his film career as an actor in the 1999 drama, Saworoide, directed by Tunde Kelani. He later moved into directing, obtaining a diploma in digital filmmaking from the New York Film Academy in 2005. Afolayan's first film as a director, Irapad, received the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Film in an African Language in 2006.

His next film, The Figurine, upheld his status. Released in 2010, the film won several awards at the 6th Africa Movie Academy Awards, receiving ten nominations and taking home five awards, including Best Picture, Achievement in Visual Effect, Heart of Africa Award for Best Film from Nigeria, Achievement in Cinematography, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. He became a well-known filmmaker due to this film.

Kunle Afolayan's career continued to thrive with his next project, Phone Swap, a 2012 comedy film created to target a younger audience. This film showcased his versatility as a director, differing from his previous works. Phone Swap earned four nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards, including Best Nigerian Film, and won the Achievement in Production Design award.

His next film, October 1, achieved success in 2014. It won 16 major African movie awards and was a box office hit, ranking among the highest-grossing Nigerian films. In 2015, Netflix acquired the online distribution rights to October 1, making it one of the first Nollywood films featured on the platform.

Kunle Afolayan directed The Bridge (2017), a romantic drama that delves into the difficulties of intertribal relationships in Nigeria, showcasing an Igbo woman who loves a Yoruba prince while emphasising societal expectations regarding marriage decisions. In 2017, he also released Omugwo, a comedy. The story was told through the lens of a couple, portrayed by Ken Erics and Omowumi Dada, whose lives take a turn when their mothers, Ayo Adesanya and Patience Ozokwor, come to stay to offer traditional postpartum support, referred to as Omugwo. The humorous story delves into the difficulties posed by cultural differences as the two mothers, hailing from distinct backgrounds, conflict and interfere with the lives of the young couple.

Kunle Afolayan's journey has flourished thanks to his creative narrative techniques. His movie Swallow, released in October 2021, delves into a young woman's tough choice in 1980s Lagos. Afolayan's next release, Aníkúlápó, in September 2022, attained considerable success as a Nigerian fantasy epic. It emerged as a leading non-English film and garnered multiple awards and nominations. A follow-up series was subsequently launched, ranking among the best releases and gathering millions of viewed hours.

Kunle Afolayan's Recall premiered at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in November 2024. The movie delves into African spirituality. The narrative revolves around Anita and Goke, a pair commemorating their decade-long anniversary, whose existence is disrupted when Anita experiences memory loss. As hidden truths emerge, their bond is challenged. Recall premiered in Nigerian cinemas on April 4, 2025.

—Somtochukwu Emmanuel 

Also Read: Nnedi Okorafor, Queen of Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism   |  Buchi Emecheta: A Literary Force That Pierced The Thick Fabric of Patriarchy