Emelonye completes Safari movie

Nigerian filmmaker Obi Emelonye (The Mirror Boy, Last Flight to Abuja) has completed filming on his latest movie, Safari, a project that has been in development for more than eight years.

The film tells the story of the wife of a Nigerian senator who, in the midst of her husband’s presidential campaign and their marital strife, seeks refuge on a safari in Kenya. “However, she soon discovers that some fears are inescapable, no matter how far you run,” the producers said.

Safari was filmed in both Kenya and Nigeria and is one of the beneficiaries of the ₦5bn (US$3.16m) film fund introduced by Providus Bank in collaboration with the Nigerian federal government. The fund was established in May to support Nigeria’s creative industry by addressing the financial challenges traditionally faced by filmmakers, intending to offer more accessible and favourable funding opportunities.

The screenplay for Safari was written by Tunde Babalola (The Bill, Last Flight to Abuja). The cast includes Osas Ighodaro, Ali Nuhu, Anthony Monjaro, Jidekene Achufusi, Kenneth Ambani and Helen Keli.

Emelonye is known for directing award-winning films such as Last Flight to Abuja (2012), The Mirror Boy (2011) and Onye Ozi (2013), as well as being the first film director to make a movie via Zoom, by working remotely with cast members in London and Lagos to produce Heart 2 Heart in 2020.

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