Nollywood Icon Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde Shines at SVAFF: A Vision for Self-Sufficient African Cinema

The recently concluded Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) celebrated Nollywood screen icon and powerful force in global media production, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde. During the festival, Jalade-Ekeinde, described by founder Chike Nwoffiah as “the darling of so many people” and one of Africa’s most iconic screen legends and global ambassadors, received the prestigious Trailblazer Award.

The festival also featured the American premiere of her directorial debut, Mother’s Love. Following the premiere, Jalade-Ekeinde participated in an insightful fireside chat with Rejoice Abutsa, a PhD candidate in Performing and Media Arts at Cornell University, whose research examines women’s labor within global black media industries.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde Resilience, Labor Advocacy, and Historical Inspiration

The conversation, which radiated creative galaxies, began with a focus on Jalade-Ekeinde’s notable resilience. She attributed her tenacity and confidence to difficult childhood experiences, particularly the early death of her father, which necessitated her rapid transition from childhood to adulthood and involved caring for her family. These challenges instilled enduring values that have shaped her successful professional life and affirmative contributions to African film and media.

Jalade-Ekeinde utilizes her influence not just on screen but also as a powerful advocate for change. When asked which historical figure she would want to portray, she immediately named Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Ransome-Kuti was a brave activist and advocate for Nigeria’s independence who fought for essential rights, including:

• Women’s rights.
• Fair wages and better working conditions within informal market economies.
• Equal opportunities and recognition for women’s vast contributions to the nation.

Mirroring this commitment, Jalade-Ekeinde uses her social media platforms to highlight pertinent issues, such as the lack of residual payments within the Nigerian film industry. She emphasizes the urgent need for an overhaul of these exploitative practices.

Nollywood: A Template for Global Success

Exploring the history of African cinema as a lens for its future, Jalade-Ekeinde cited Nollywood as a template that exemplifies how African screen industries can achieve self-sufficiency. She emphasized the historical power of the industry:

“We have done a lot. Nollywood broke internationally before Afrobeats. Nollywood has gone into the nooks and crannies of international spaces.”

Jalade-Ekeinde pointed out that Nollywood achieved this global reach without the aid of global streaming platforms or Netflix, succeeding initially with VHS and DVD distribution. She noted that this history reminds practitioners that they were already powerful, telling authentic, home-grown stories that transcended boundaries and sustained independent merits.

Her hope for future success lies in improving the industry’s consciousness and returning to humane stories, an attribute she feels is currently compromised by international streamers and global capital.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde Legacy of Versatility and Influence

Jalade-Ekeinde’s career spans over thirty years, during which she has featured in over 300 films. Her versatility is evidenced by her experiments with other media forms, including music and reality shows, alongside her work as a philanthropist.

Her global influence is extensive:

• She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars’ committee).
• In 2013, she was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential icons, alongside figures such as Beyoncé, Kate Middleton, and Michelle Obama.

The Importance of Scholarship in African Cinema

The fireside chat was richly complemented by the scholarly interests of Rejoice Abutsa, who has co-convened stellar roundtables on key topics such as Nollywood Global Circuits and Towards a Sustainable Framework for Transnational Neo-Nollywood.

In her closing remarks, Abutsa thanked the screen icon for being at the forefront of “centering Nollywood as a global character while retaining its Nigerian heart and history”. Abutsa underscored that the type of academic research she conducts would be impossible without the foresight, labor, and resilience of pioneering women like Jalade-Ekeinde, whose works exude subtleties across transnational spaces, generations, and cultures.

The event successfully highlighted the importance of knowledge sharing between scholars, practitioners, audiences, and generations. The conversation, affirmed by the SVAFF principles, demonstrated how the creative ranges and dimensions of African cinema contest stereotypes and spark needful dialogues concerning its growth and place in the global marketplace.