New Acquisition Deal with Trino Motion Pictures’ award-winning feature marks one of the largest international releases for an independently produced Nigerian film

Trino Motion Pictures has announced that its critically acclaimed psychological thriller The Weekend has been acquired by Canal+ for a French-dubbed release across more than 60 French-speaking territories, launching 1 April 2026.

The deal, brokered with international distributor iFind Pictures — a longstanding sales partner that has facilitated multiple French-language distribution deals for Trino Motion Pictures — will see the film roll out across linear and SVOD platforms throughout Africa, Europe and French overseas territories.

The agreement marks a significant expansion in the film’s international reach and represents one of the most extensive pan-Francophone releases for a contemporary Nigerian feature, giving The Weekend access to one of the largest Francophone broadcast networks globally.

The Canal+ deal comes amid a rapid succession of high-value international acquisitions, positioning The Weekend as one of the most widely distributed independently produced Nigerian films in recent years.

More significantly, it reflects a broader shift in the global content market: premium African films are increasingly being positioned not as regional acquisitions, but as scalable international assets.

The acquisition also points to a growing strategic focus among global broadcasters on premium African storytelling with cross-market appeal, as platforms continue to diversify their content pipelines beyond traditional acquisition territories. Beyond the film’s individual success, the scale and pace of these deals highlight a wider industry trend — increasing demand for genre-driven African storytelling that can travel across markets, languages and platforms.

For Trino Motion Pictures — approaching its 10th anniversary — the deal represents a defining moment in the company’s evolution from a domestic production outfit into an increasingly global-facing studio with a growing track record in international sales and distribution.

The Weekend, directed by Daniel Oriahi and produced by Uche Okocha, first premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, becoming the first independently produced Nigerian film selected by the festival. It went on to screen internationally, including at the BFI London Film Festival, Screamfest, and the NollywoodWeek Film Festival in Paris, further building its reputation as a standout genre title with global resonance.

Since then, the film has built strong commercial and critical momentum, culminating in 16 nominations and multiple wins at the 2024 Africa Movie Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Nigerian Film, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography.

The psychological thriller follows Nikiya (Uzoamaka Aniunoh), an orphan searching for belonging, who persuades her fiancé Luc (Bucci Franklin) to introduce her to his estranged family. What begins as a hopeful visit soon descends into a disturbing ordeal, as hidden truths and long-buried traditions come to light. The film also features an ensemble cast including Meg Otanwa, Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey, Gloria Anozie-Young, Damilola Ogunsi, James Gardiner and Bryan Okoye.

Uche Okocha, Managing Director of Trino Motion Pictures, said: “This partnership with Canal+ is a major milestone for The Weekend and for Trino as a company. From the outset, our ambition was to create a film that could travel — a story rooted in Nigeria but universally understood. To now see the film reach audiences across such a wide range of territories is incredibly meaningful, and speaks to the growing global demand for African stories told at scale.”

For Canal+, the acquisition further strengthens its position as a key player in the distribution of African content across Francophone markets. For Trino Motion Pictures, it marks continued momentum in building an international footprint across production, sales and distribution at a pivotal moment in the company’s growth.