The Nigerian film ‘Osamede’, directed by James Omokwe, has been awarded the ‘Best Narrative Feature’ at the 2025 Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF).
The festival, which champions an understanding of Africa through motion pictures, was held at the Hoover Theater in San Jose, California, under the theme ‘Africa through the African lens’.
‘Osamede’ triumphed amidst a competitive field of films from over 30 countries across Africa and its diaspora.
The award recognised the film’s unique creative ambition and deep cultural grounding, celebrating its contribution to the richness of African cinema.
Set against the backdrop of the historic 1897 British invasion of the Benin Kingdom, ‘Osamede’ shifts the narrative from one of destruction to one of rebirth.
The film centres on a powerful heroine endowed with supernatural abilities to protect her people. It follows a young woman’s discovery of her ancestral powers, building its fantasy narrative on the authentic governance systems, spiritual practices, and cultural power of the pre-colonial Benin Kingdom.
The production team hailed the win as a validation of their core mission: to prove that African history offers a rich foundation for epic fantasy storytelling.
Omokwe noted that audiences resonated with the seamless blend of fiction and historical non-fiction.
Lolo Eremie, the film’s writer, elaborated on this vision, stating that African history provides a unique opportunity to “produce a film that can sustain a fantasy world built on real cultural power.”
Uchechukwu Nwaohiri, the production designer, explained that the film’s vision was brought to life through sets that honoured historical accuracy while serving the fantasy narrative.
Lilian Olubi, the executive producer, reflected on the project’s ambition: “The question was whether we had the confidence to build fantasy from our own cultural foundations. We trusted that Benin Kingdom’s history could sustain epic storytelling.”
This confidence was realised by filming in locations such as Fugar and Ososo in Edo state.
Following its success at SVAFF, ‘Osamede’ continues to make waves on the international stage. The film began its global showcase at the Cannes Film Market in May 2025 and has also been selected for the Films from the South Festival in Oslo, Norway.
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