Genevieve Nnaji Pushes for Pan-African Film Collaborations, Celebrates Rise of Female Filmmakers

Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Genevieve Nnaji has expressed her desire to see stronger collaboration among African film industries, saying she hopes to witness more intercontinental productions across the continent.

Speaking on the Deadline Podcast, the acclaimed actress said African cinema still has enormous untapped potential and that deeper partnerships between filmmakers across the continent could help showcase authentic African stories to the world.

“I think my dream has always been that we have some intercontinental production within the African region. And I can’t wait to see that happen,” she said.

Nnaji, who produced and directed Lionheart — the first Nigerian film acquired by Netflix — also praised the growing number of women taking up leadership roles in Nollywood as producers, directors, and filmmakers.

According to her, the Nigerian film industry, despite being relatively young, has made remarkable progress in a short period.

“Seeing a lot more female producers, directors, and filmmakers come up is also very inspiring to me. The industry is barely 40 years old, but we’ve achieved so much in such a short time,” she stated.

The Imo State-born actress recently received recognition at the Women in Cinema Gala during the Cannes Film Festival, where she reflected on the future of African storytelling and the global impact of Nollywood.

She maintained that African filmmakers were only just beginning to scratch the surface of what the industry could become.

“I think we just started. Time is still very young, and we have a lot more to achieve,” she added.

Celebrated for helping expand Nollywood’s global reach, Nnaji said she looks forward to international audiences discovering the depth and richness of Nigerian and African culture through film.

“The stories that come out of Nigeria, I can’t wait for people to actually see the depth of who we are as a nation, as a culture, as a continent, Africa as a whole,” she said.

After years away from acting, the actress is also set to make her screen return in Wahala, a six-part thriller series produced by BBC Studios and based on a novel by Theresa Ikoko.