Anakle Films, the production company led by Editi Effiong and responsible for the making of one-million-dollar-budget Nollywood blockbuster The Black Book, has announced Mimi Bartels and Ashley Opusunju as Co-Founder and General Manager respectively.
This announcement follows the success of the Netflix action thriller production last year and the addition of Nollywood veteran Richard Mofe-Damijo as Chairman, Board of Directors. It is also considered a great step ahead of the 2024 International Women’s Day.
“I think we have a clear idea of what we want to do and where we want to play in the global industry,” Founder of Anakle Films, Editi Effiong, says in a media interview. “It’s important to have the right people around us to make that happen.”
Mimi Bartels is set to bring in her wealth of experience garnered from previous positions held at foremost Nigerian film distribution platform, FilmOne Entertainment, where she worked for over seven years. She has served in production, film distribution, media, marketing communications and alternative investments. She was recently General Manager at the just repackaged FilmOne Studios where she led the production of the company’s first Original, Adire, and championed the successful collaboration with Nollywood filmmaker, Funke Akindele, on the box-office chef-d’oeuvre, Battle On Buka Street. Among other impressive efforts, Bartels spearheaded the distribution for 70% of Nigeria’s all-time top ten box office productions since 2016.
In her new position at Anakle Films, Bartels is tasked with using data and intuition to spot potential local and international hits, create compelling narratives and engage investors with pitches. Her role also includes securing strategic partnership deals with creatives and other production outfits so as to deliver films and stories that appeal to both African and global audiences.
“As a co-founder of Anakle Films, my primary focus is on driving perpetual growth and success for our studio,” Bartels notes in her conversation with In Nollywood. “My role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including but not limited to creation, development, execution, distribution, relationship-building and industry positioning.”
Ashley Opusunju, formerly Deputy Chief Operations Officer at Anakle Limited , the parent agency to Anakle Films, boasts 9 years of experience at the marketing agency during which she established herself as a charismatic and strategic leader through her commitment to several high-value teams and projects. She also championed multiple financing deals, including that of Anakle Films’ The Black Book. Expectations are high on Ashley’s new position as she is set to manage the daily operations of the studio whose mission is “telling the next generation of African stories.”