Nigerian film producer and CEO of EbonyLife Group, Mo Abudu, is about to see one of her cherished dreams come true. She is billed this month to debut as director. Since her first full-length feature, Fifty, in 2015, she has guided the storytelling process as an executive producer and visionary, as she always sought experienced directors to work on each project. Abudu attended London Film School in 2017 and completed a course in directing, with the aim of improving her filmmaking skills. In a statement, she said; “I believe in learning and understanding any major assignment I undertake.
Directing is an art form that takes years to master, so I’m beginning with baby steps. I have written two short films that I will be directing – Her Perfect Life and Iyawo Mi (My Wife); predominantly Yoruba language films. “Although these stories are fictional, they highlight mental health challenges hardly spoken about in Nigerian society that many people deal with all over the world. Mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, income or social class, and they are on the increase.” As CEO of EbonyLife TV, Mo Abudu oversaw the production of more than 1,000 hours of content annually.
As an executive producer, she has created some of the biggest blockbusters in Nigerian cinema, including The Wedding Party, Chief Daddy, Your Excellency and The Royal Hibiscus Hotel. As part of a major deal with Netflix, her successes include Castle & Castle, Oloture and Blood Sisters. Her Perfect Life stars Pearl Thusi and Joseph Benjamin, supported by Omawunmi Dada, Uzo Osimpka, Christian Paul and Mary Lazarus. The cast of Iyawo Mi (My Wife) includes Adedimeji Lateef, Bolaji Ogunmola, Segun Arinze and Jude Chukwuka.