Nigerian-American filmmaker Anu Bamidele is the creative force behind Nolly Babes, a short film that blends nostalgia with social commentary. Drawing from the distinctive aesthetics and storytelling traditions that made Nollywood a cultural phenomenon, Nolly Babes reimagines the genre with a contemporary lens.
The film follows a struggling actress and her two ambitious friends as they hatch a plan to outwit a predatory director and secure funding for their own project. With wit and honesty, Bamidele uses their journey to explore the power dynamics that continue to shape Nigeria’s film industry.
Starring Uzoamaka Power, Tomi Ojo, and Osereme Inegbenebor, Nolly Babes captures the defining spirit of classic Nollywood: resourcefulness, bold visual style, and an unfiltered embrace of cultural identity. Bamidele’s dual cultural background—raised between Nigeria and the U.S., with boarding school years in Abuja—allows her to act as a bridge between generations. Her deep reverence for Nollywood’s early pioneers is evident, but so is her commitment to centering female voices in the industry’s next chapter.
Nolly Babes marks Bamidele’s first project as both writer and director, but she’s far from a newcomer to film. She was part of the visual effects team on Marvel’s Thunderbolts, and her transatlantic experience spans both indie and mainstream productions. She even completed her NYSC at Film One, an experience she says made Nolly Babes feel like a natural next step, thanks to the industry connections she built there.
In this interview, we dive into Bamidele’s creative process and discover how Nolly Babes lovingly retools the hallmarks of Nigerian cinema for a new generation.
Nollybabes pays tribute to classic Nollywood while spotlighting a new generation of stars like Uzoamaka Power, Tomi Ojo, and Osereme Inegbenebor. What aspects of Old Nollywood were you most excited to celebrate and reimagine for today’s audience?
There are so many aspects from fashion to the way that black women just look gorgeous with those tiny little eyebrows and that black lip combo, to the attitude of these Nolly babes. I think one of the reasons old Nollywood Instagram accounts are so popular is because these women had really sharp attitudes. And I don’t even know if a lot of the modern stories we tell have a woman with these sharp attitudes.
There are so many of them who are classic and so great, but I always loved Rita Dominic because she would play the meanest characters. And that sort of bite and empowerment is what I was aiming for. Because it’s cool to see women taking things back and taking power into their own hands.
The plot—three women scheming to outsmart a sleazy director to fund their own project—feels comedic and real. How does this storyline reflect the challenges women continue to face in Nollywood, past and present?
That’s a great question. I have been in these types of auditions. I started off as an actress, and I’ve been in auditions where the guy across the table, whether that be the producer, the director, or the casting director, made me feel uncomfortable. And a lot of the time, it comes off as uncomfortable compliments or things you wish that the person wasn’t saying out loud about your looks. And when you’re trying to be an actor, you’re trying to showcase your art, but you are your art. It’s how you express and pass these emotions onto the viewer. So it’s impossible to do without being seen.
And there’s so much vulnerability to opening yourself up to be seen and then being harassed. And in Nolly Babes, without revealing too much, when I first started showing friends or trusted mentors, the drafts I was working on, many asked, why don’t you make the harassment even more explicit? So yes, I think it does reflect the challenges women face.
What drew you to work with this particular cast? How do Uzoamaka, Tomi, and Osereme embody the legacy of Nollywood’s iconic actresses?
They’re all so talented and so fun. I think in the audition, especially with Uzo, her character needs to be able to sort of transform, and she embodies that well. Her character is also an actor, so someone who could show many different sides of who they are. I remember when we first met, she kept asking me questions about the script and about the character, and she was bringing up things I hadn’t even thought of, and I was the one who wrote it. So, like, working with an actor who’s that attentive and thoughtful is really great.
Tomi Ojo also has a really calm personality. She has a really focused energy to her. They all balance each other out. And I can’t wait to see all three of them in more things, because I know for sure they are the next generation.
Nollywood has such distinctive visual and storytelling aesthetics. Which classic Nollywood films or directors most influenced your approach to Nollybabes?
There’s this classic Ini Edo movie called Worlds Apart, where she plays a really poor girl. It’s sort of like a Cinderella story. And that movie went double platinum in my house. We watched that movie all the time growing up. Also, as I was searching on YouTube, looking for all these movies, I found this movie called The Most Beautiful Girl on Campus. The teacher basically takes one out of class for how she’s dressed, and all the girls come back and they beat the shit out of him. The beauty is how they are able to do a lot with the limited amount they have. And that’s one of the things I always respected about Nollywood.
Nollybabes seems to blend comedy with commentary on the film industry. How do you balance entertaining your audience while addressing more serious themes about power dynamics in entertainment?
I think I would define Nolly Babes as a crime comedy. Kind of like Oceans 8. How do I balance it? I find comedy in everything. I think that even in some of the saddest moments, there’s something funny. I don’t even write comedy actively. I think that it just comes out because it’s a coping mechanism for me. So, no matter what I am writing about, comedy comes out subconsciously.
The determination of your characters to make a film on their own feels like a nod to the DIY ethos of early Nollywood. Is that parallel intentional, and does it reflect your own experience navigating filmmaking?
DIY ethos is a great way to describe it, I love how you just put that. Yes, that parallel was definitely intentional. I grew up watching old Nollywood, and what always struck me was the sheer determination to make something, even without a lot of resources. That spirit really inspired how I approached Nolly Babes.
I mean, as I mentioned, I started out as an actress, and sometimes when you’re an artist and you’ve been doing it for a while, you start to feel a little bit entitled. You’re like, I’m putting in the work. I know I’m talented. Why isn’t it happening to me? That’s where our lead character starts out, she’s frustrated, moping a little, until her friends push her to take action. I’ve definitely been there. I once had a scene from a Hollywood film that I thought was going to be my big break, and it got cut. It’s heartbreaking, but that’s part of the journey. So yeah, the film reflects both that classic Nollywood hustle and my own bumps along the way.
How do you hope Nollybabes contributes to the evolving conversation about Nollywood’s global significance and its influence on African diaspora storytelling?
I want people to have fun watching Nolly Babes. More than anything, I want audiences to see young, dark-skinned Black women as cool, powerful, and leading their own narratives because that’s still so rare. A lot of films about people of color that get attention tend to be heavy, and centered on trauma, racism, or violence. Those stories matter, absolutely, and I’m glad they exist. But I also think there’s power in joy and empowerment.
With Nolly Babes, even though the characters face real challenges, it’s not meant to be traumatic, it’s about how they push through together. It reminds me a bit of what Black Panther did. Not that I’m comparing the two directly, but that movie was fun and impactful, and it made people feel proud and seen. That’s what I want too. I also hope people who don’t know much about Nollywood watch the film and think, “Wait, what was that referencing?” and feel inspired to learn more. There’s so much rich history and creativity in Nollywood, and I’d love for Nolly Babes to open that door for more people.
0 Comments
Add your own hot takes