With FESPACO win, Ike Nnaebue soars higher

Notable Nollywood filmmaker, Ike Nnaebue, returned from the 10-day long Festival of Pan African Cinema in Ouagadougou (FESPACO), which held between February 25 and March 4 with an award. Nnaebue’s biographical documentary film, No U-Turn, received the special ECOWAS award for the Best Film on West African Integration at the FESPACO.

It has been one award to another for Nnaebue since the documentary film debuted at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival, otherwise called Berlinale. Nnaebue’s No U-Turn, which reflects the issues regarding migration and the difficulties confronted by African immigrants, has so far received a Special Jury Mention for outstanding performance at the Berlinale, Best Documentary in Africa at the AMAA Awards, Best African Documentary at the AFRIFF, Artistic Bravery Award at The Durban International Film Festival and Best Film on West African Integration at the FESPACO. The film has also been screened at over 20 film festivals across the world and Nnaebue is about now on his way to Toronto and then the USA to honour two screening invitation for the film —Human Rights Watch Film Festival Toronto and London, University of Stutggart and AFI Silver, Maryland USA.

Moviedom engaged Nnaebue on the success story of his first documentary film as a filmmaker.

Applause, Applause From Berlin to Ouagadougou
I FEEL super awesome, thankful, grateful and highly encouraged, motivated and energised. Trophies and accolades are extremely powerful, not just for the fact that a trophy puts a collective validation to one’s craft and ability. For me, the most powerful aspect of a trophy is what it does to you as an individual whenever you look at your trophy or trophies as the case maybe. Trophies unlock greater possibilities in your reality.

Berlinale Was The First Stop For No U-Turn
YES, Berlinale was the World Premiere for No U-Turn and this happened barely a month after we finished the film. In fact, the copy we submitted for Berlinale was the rough cut. Since Berlinale, we have done close to 20 top international and local film festivals, including Sheffield Doc, Afrikamera in Berlin, Durban International Film Festival, Joburg International Film Festival, Human Right Watch Film Festival New York, Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), Geneva International Film Festival, Afrika Film Festival köln Germany to mention but a few.

Seduced To Chart A New Course With The Film
I HAVE always loved to be seduced by the idea of charting a new course. I love traveling on the road less trodden. Also, as you already know, No U-Turn is based on a personal story, hence the choice of the story as my first documentary film. Lastly, I love telling factual stories as much as I enjoy crafting fictional tales.

As for how long it took to make the film from concept to post-production, it took two years to make the film. Some of the challenges we faced making the film was the traveling across 10 borders during the pandemic and PCR tests we had to do across the countries. My team and I were detained in Mauritania for three days and it was such a harrowing experience. But we are happy with the outcome of the project; the feedback has been so amazing and so encouraging.

Of course, I am super proud of the work my team and I have done with the production of the film and looking forward to the great work we will be doing with the impact campaign, which we have actually already begun. And part of the major feedbacks are the awards we have received so far, including Special Jury Mention for outstanding performance at the Berlinale, Best Documentary in Africa at the AMAA Awards, Best African Documentary at the AFRIFF, Artistic Bravery Award at The Durban International Film Festival and recently Best Film on West African Integration at the FESPACO.

Will Make More Documentaries
THE experience of No U-Turn has definitely enchanted me into the documentary world and I will be making more documentaries. In fact, I have just begun writing the sequel to No U-Turn based on popular demand. It’s called Finding El Dorado. In Finding El Dorado, we dive deeper into the lives of West Africans who have finally reached Europe, after facing immense difficulties and making numerous sacrifices along the way.

Next For No U-Turn And Words For Upcoming Filmmakers
NEXT stops for the film are Human Rights Watch Film Festival Toronto and London, University of Stuttgart and AFI Silver, Maryland USA. For upcoming filmmakers, I will say see no limitations. Open your mind to big dreams and submit yourself, your crafts and your projects to global best practices and processes.

Above all, emancipate yourself from mental slavery of religion and colonialism. As a creative, you must question everything, because the society depends on us for charting a new course for Africa. We are the torchbearers.