Ike Nnaebue reflects on a year of growth, advocacy, creative impact

As 2024 draws to a close, Nigerian filmmaker, global speaker, and cultural entrepreneur, Ike Nnaebue is celebrating a year filled with creative achievements, impactful advocacy, and empowering initiatives.

Renowned as one of the champions of the emerging new African cinema, Ike has consistently used his platform to amplify African stories, foster cultural exchange, and nurture the next generation of filmmakers.

This year, Ike’s participation in diverse activities and events highlighted his unwavering dedication to storytelling and mentorship. Among his notable engagements, Ike shared his thoughts on the upcoming Things Fall Apart adaptation, advocating for cultural sensitivity in bringing Chinua Achebe’s masterpiece to life. His insightful remarks underscored the importance of authentic representation and storytelling in African cinema.

Speaking engagements played a significant role in Ike’s impactful year. Ike spoke at the Nigerian International Film & TV Summit (NiFS) in Lagos and the Entertainment, Media, Technology and Arts (EMTA) Conference and Awards. In November, he led a Documentary Filmmaking Workshop, equipping aspiring filmmakers with the skills to tell compelling stories. His role as a co-founder of the Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival (ENIFF) further cemented his commitment to celebrating and nurturing regional talent. Additionally, he served as a distinguished panelist at the National Film and Video Censors Board Event, where his contributions enriched discussions on the future of Nigerian cinema.

Through his work as a lead coach for StoryMi Academy, an initiative by renowned French journalist Sophie Bouillon, funded and supported by the French Embassy in Nigeria, Ike mentored 10 young Nigerian documentary filmmakers via two cohorts of six months each. During the fellowship, these filmmakers were granted funds to produce mini-documentaries, which premiered to audiences comprising film enthusiasts and members of the diplomatic community in Nigeria.

He also led the young filmmakers on a tour of France to participate in two world-class documentary film festivals, namely FIPADOC in Biarritz and Sunny Side of the Doc in La Rochelle, in February and June respectively. During both outings, Ike and the Nigerian delegation engaged with the global documentary film community via panel discussions, where he emphasized the enormous potential of the Nigerian documentary ecosystem.

In February of the year in review, Ike toured Europe for 30 days as part of the research and development for his new project, Finding El Dorado, a follow-up to No U-Turn. In this deeply personal film, Ike seeks to close a loop he opened 29 years ago when he made a failed attempt to reach Europe via the Sahara. Finding El Dorado documents
his journey through Europe, uncovering the struggles of West African migrants who braved the Mediterranean in search of a better life, only to face harsh realities, disillusionment, and the ongoing fight for legal residency.

In November, Ike was invited to join the African delegation to IDFA in Amsterdam, organised by Documentary Africa (DocA) and funded by the IDFA BERTA Fund. This experience reconnected Ike with his global friends and colleagues. At IDFA, he participated in a roundtable conversation between the African delegation and the Documentary Association of Europe on ethical co-production between the Global North and South.

The Magic of the People Initiative, one of Ike’s flagship projects, continued to celebrate and preserve African stories and traditions, ensuring these narratives remain an integral part of global cultural conversations. Under this initiative, Ike was invited by Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom to curate a panel discussion titled ‘The Artist as Public Intellectual: Bringing Rememory and Sankofa to Imagined Futures of Ethical Transnational Media Collaborations’. This discussion was part of the Developing a Media Decolonial Imaginary (DMDI) research, a transformational project led by Dr. Samantha Iwowo at the Centre for the Study of Conflict, Emotions and Social Justice (CESJ) at Bournemouth University. The research involves collaboration with Dr. Kole Odutola (University of Florida, USA) and partnerships with institutions including Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; Wole Soyinka International Cultural Centre, Nigeria; Lanka Cine Media, Sri Lanka; Makerere University, Uganda; and the University of the Liberal Arts, Bangladesh.

Ike also joined his co-collaborators to host the annual Transnational Cinema Week, an innovative filmmaking education initiative that features the Transnational Film Students Exchange Programme. Now in its fifth year, this hybrid programme was co-created during the global COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 by Dr. Samantha Iwowo of Bournemouth University and Ike. Initially supported by LP House of Creatives’ Lagos hub, the programme welcomed Germany’s renowned Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF as a partner in 2021, further enhancing its impact.

Ike crowned his year with a trip to Nairobi for the impact screening of No U-Turn in Mathare, Kenya, alongside Afia Attack by Ujuaku Akukwe, as part of the festival connect between the Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival and Mathare Youth Film Festival. This initiative, funded by the British Council, underscored the cross-cultural collaboration between African filmmakers.

Through his leadership as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LP House of Creatives, Ike expanded safe spaces for African creatives to thrive, both across the continent and in select cities worldwide. His work with Passion8 Communications Ltd., a premium media content production company, further reinforces his legacy as a pioneer in African cinema.

Reflecting on the past year, Ike shared: “This year has been a journey of creativity, advocacy, and collaboration. From mentoring young filmmakers to championing African stories on global platforms, every moment has affirmed my commitment to storytelling that uplifts and inspires. As we move into 2025, I am excited to continue exploring the magic of cinema and creating avenues for African voices to thrive on the global stage.”

As part of his giveback initiatives, Ike also launched the Ignite The Spark Career Workshop, with its inaugural edition held at the SUCCESSlink BRIDGE School in Ajah, Lagos, Nigeria. This programme, a dynamic fusion of entrepreneurship and art, is designed to inspire, empower, and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit in young minds through the lens of artistic creativity. Ike and his team plan to expand these workshops to more secondary schools across Africa in 2025, fostering a new generation of creative, innovative thinkers.

As Ike looks ahead to 2025, he remains steadfast in his role as a public intellectual, staying fully focused on his mission to keep telling groundbreaking stories, mentoring emerging talent, and championing African narratives that resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.