Nadia Denton

Nadia is a curator, producer, event organiser and author of the book Beyond Nollywood.

What’s your connection to the British Council? 
I am currently the UK lead curator for the UK/Nigeria Film Connections programme. Film Connections -- more info here -- seeks to create a bridge between the two countries' film industries. I am delighted to be involved in the project as I have been specializing in the Nigerian film industry for the past four years and know a great number of filmmakers who could benefit enormously from what the programme has to offer.

What are you working on right now?
So, I have just completed the curation of the film and workshops programme for Film Connections. The showcase will take place at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in Lagos from 29 Oct-4 Nov.

We are opening our strand with Nick Broomfield’s latest documentary Whitney, Can I Be Me? and I am thrilled! It is certainly one of the talked about titles for this year and I am confident that it will be well received by our Lagos audience.

We are showing other award winning features which include A Moving Image by Shola Amoo, The Hard Stop by George Amponsah and Under the Shadow by Babak Anvari. We also have a shorts strand under the theme Another Reality is Possible. It includes the acclaimed Scottish short film 1745. The Director Gordon Napier and writer and Lead Actresses Morayo Akande and Moyo Akande will be travelling out to Lagos for the programme.

I also recently wrapped my very first BBC World service radio broadcast. The production is called Shooting It Like a Woman. It looks at the fortunes of women in the Nigerian film industry and will air on 25 October as part of the 100 Women series. I co-produced it with Mukti Jain Campion.

What/who originally turned you onto film?
I started running an informal film club at the ICA many years ago – not knowing much that much about the film industry. I ‘caught the bug’ so to speak, loving the combined audience and filmmaker interaction. Film is the ultimate artistic expression. Films really do change people and I am a big advocate of filmmaking for social change. SO here I am ….

What has been your career high so far?
Hmm. There have been quite a few. Spike Lee turned up to the launch party of my very first film festival unexpectedly – so that was pretty cool. It has to be my book The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood. It has been rewarding highlighting a more obscure aspect of the Nigerian film industry and showcasing this work under the banner of BEYOND NOLLYWOOD to audiences.

What’s a key piece of advice you’d give to someone starting off in film making?
Networking is key. You randomly meet people who can be so pivotal to your career and they are not necessarily the ‘names’. Being on good terms with people and your reputation is so important. Make every impression count.