Gbenga Adeoti is a theatre and film director, writer, curator, and cultural entrepreneur committed to shaping the short film ecosystem in Africa and building a sustainable market for it. With a broad range of skills in film, theatre, media, event, and management, he brings both creative vision and operational expertise to his work. He is the Founder of The Filmjoint and Co-founder of African International Short Film Market (AISFM), platforms that connect bold cinematic storytelling with global audiences, industry stakeholders, and new opportunities for young filmmakers.

Through The Filmjoint, Gbenga is bridging the gap in short film distribution and empowering young filmmakers with the tools and support they need to thrive. In addition to curating showcases and consulting on festival programming, Gbenga is passionate about helping festivals and institutions engage with new talent and rethink how short films are positioned in the global market.

Daniel is an internationally recognized Nigerian filmmaker with over a decade of experience in crafting bold, character-driven narratives that blend hyper-realism with cinematic stylization. His films have garnered critical acclaim and prestigious festival selections, solidifying his reputation as a visionary director with a unique storytelling approach.

From Taxi Driver: Oko Ashewo (2015), the third highest-grossing Nollywood film of its year, to Sylvia (2018), a psychological thriller that became a Netflix sensation, Daniel has continuously pushed the boundaries of Nollywood storytelling. His latest film, The Weekend (2024), made history with 16 AMAA nominations, winning 4 awards, including Best Overall Film and Best Nigerian Film, and a selection at top international film festivals, including Tribeca, BFI London Film Festival, Screamfest, Slash Film Festival, and the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) 2025.

Tolulope Ajayi is a Nigerian film and TV director, producer, and educator with over 20 years of experience. He began in advertising at SO&U Saatchi & Saatchi, rising to COO of it’s production company - LUCID.AV, then Head of Branded Content at Insight Publicis. His directorial debut came in 2008 with TINSEL, launching a prolific career in scripted TV and film.
He has directed major series like MTV Shuga Naija, Gidi Up, The Olive, and Diiche. His short films—The Encounter, Focus, Closed, and Finding Diana—have won multiple international awards including at AMVCA, AFRIFF, Loeries, and Berlin Short Film Festival.

His debut feature Over The Bridge (2023) screened at AFI Silver, NYAFF, AFRIKALDIA, and Seattle Black Film Festival, and earned 12 AMVCA nominations, winning Best Production Design and Best Cinematography. He is the director/showrunner of Showmax’s Princess on a Hill and currently heads the Film Directing department at EbonyLife Academy. He is also a sought-after speaker and creator of the Marketing with the Motion Picture programme.

Notable Accolades
• 12x AMVCA Nominations
• 3 AMVCA wins across 2 films
• Cannes Golden Lions Speaker (2019)

Education
• BA in English, University of Ilorin
• Directing Certificate, Relativity Education (LA)
• BBC Assistant Producer Foundation (2008)

Uzoamaka Power is a multidisciplinary artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2023, she was selected as a Berlinale Talent and took part in the Berlinale International Film Festival's prestigious Acting Studio.

Her debut short film, Love Language, won the Jury Prize at Nollywood Week Paris and earned a nomination at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). Uzoamaka also received the Kim Renders Outstanding Performance Award at the Kingston Reelout Film Festival in 2021 for her role in Ìfé.

In 2024, she received Best Lead Actress nominations from the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA), and the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards.
Uzoamaka has headlined films that have premiered at major international festivals, including Sundance, BFI London, Tribeca, and AFRIFF.

She holds a BA in English and History from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Omoladun Adenuga is a multifaceted writer and filmmaker whose work spans film, TV, web series and commercials. She also serves on the jury at Accra indie Filmfest and The Annual Film Mischief.

Josh Olaoluwa is an award-winning Nigerian producer passionate about authentic African storytelling. His work spans platforms like Netflix, Apple TV+, MTV, Amazon Prime Video, and The Smithsonian Institute. While at Ebonylife Studios, he produced Netflix's A Sunday Affair and Oloture 2.

Josh also produced the Amazon Prime series Grind, which held the #1 consecutive weeks, and returned as producer and showrunner for its second season in 2025. His earlier work includes producing and shooting The Making of a King, a Netflix documentary on King of Boys, and showrunning national TV sitcoms Pepper Soup and Daddy Yo, which drew 5 million viewers on Primetime Tv.

In 2023, he received the New York Foundation for the Arts prize for Love & Seclusion, the only African winner in the fiction feature category. His short Naked Woman was selected by the Smithsonian Museum, while lje earned nine nominations at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival. Josh is a fellow of Torino Film Lab, Biennale College Cinema, and Red Sea Labs, and is currently based in Los Angeles, completing dual fellowships with Film Independent and Global Media Makers. His latest film premiered
at Slamdance in 2025.

Seyi Lasisi is a Nigerian creative with an enduring and obsessive interest in Nigerian and African cinema as an art form. His criticism explores the subtle and overt politics, sentiments, and opinions of filmmakers, examining how these align with or challenge social realities. A Senior Staff Writer at Culture Custodian and an alumnus of the Young Critics and Reviewers Programme, his work has appeared in The Republic, Afrocritik, Diaspora Africa, and In Nollywood. Through essays and reviews, he interrogates how film preserves memory, shapes culture, and reflects society, positioning cinema as both a creative industry and a cultural archive.

Ikeade Oriade is the Founder of What Kept Me Up, a Nigerian media company dedicated to critical conversations on film and television, and the Co-Founder of African Film Press, a media alliance uniting leading film publications across the continent. As a film critic and journalist, his work explores the intersections of film, society, and culture, offering nuanced reflections on how they shape and mirror collective realities. In 2024, he was named to YNaija’s The Nollywood 100 List, recognising him as one of the brightest talents in Nigeria’s film industry.