Olive Nwosu’s “Lady” Acquired by Cohen for U.S. Release, Without Nigerian Screening or Distribution

The U.S. distribution rights to Olive Nwosu’s Sundance-Winning Lady has been  sold by HanWay Films and acquired by Cohen Media Group. Lady is the directorial debut feature-length project of the writer-director. The film screened at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in January and won the Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble, had its European premiere in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), screened as part of the International Narrative Competition lineup at the Tribeca Film Festival, and screened at a couple of other festivals. 

The acquisition follows the film’s strong appearance at top international film festivals. The deal was negotiated by Jessica Lacy at Gersh and Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of HanWay Films, on behalf of the filmmakers and Robert Aaronson, exec VP of Cohen Media Group.

Lady stars Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Bucci Franklin, and Seun Kuti, and others. The project charts the titular character’s quest for sisterhood and freedom amidst a crippling economic situation. 

Nwosu’s Lady follows a fiercely independent young cab driver in Lagos, Nigeria, whose life shifts when her long-lost childhood friend, Pinky, settles into her life. Through Pinky, she encounters a group of sex workers and gets drawn into their sisterhood. Set against the chaotic, vibrant energy of Lagos at night, the film portrays her journey through both danger and joy as this relationship exposes her to the realities of governmental failure, corruption, and the cost of survival. 

Lady is a U.K. and Nigerian production developed with Film4 and financed by the BFI (awarding National Lottery Funding), Film4, and Screen Scotland, alongside Level Forward and Amplify Capital. Level Forward will also be servicing Lady’s community distribution and the film’s impact campaign. The film was produced by Ossian Intl. (Alex Polunin), Good Gate (John Giwa-Amu), and Stella Nwimo. Co-producers are Adé Sultan Sangodoyin and Jamiu Shoyode of Lagos-based Emperium Films.

In a Culture Custodian interview, the director admitted that the film was made for a local and global audience. She commented, also, on the possibility of working-class Nigerians, which the film was made for, being systematically and economically disenfranchised from accessing the film should it get Nigerian theatrical release. 

Nwosu stated that the film was made for everyday Nigerians and acknowledged how heartbreaking it would be if everyday Nigerians can’t watch the film. “We made it (Lady) to be intentionally legible to a local audience, as well as a global one. I am working hard to ensure that LADY reaches local Nigerian cinemas, and we are discussing novel ways to facilitate community screenings that allow more access. Like-minded partners would be deeply appreciated.”

Despite its Western funding, Lady is distinctively made for working-class Nigerians as acknowledged by its director. Thus, when the film circulates primarily at foreign festivals and distribution circuits while its core audience is locked out, it creates a disconnect between representation and access. This isn’t the filmmaker’s nor the sales agent’s fault. It points to structural gaps in local distribution, funding, and exhibition infrastructure, where stories about Nigerian life gain global validation but can’t reach the communities whose realities, language, and culture they’re rooted in. To solve this, there needs to be government policies focused on the film industry, local cultural and financial institutions that can fund local films, and a viable, sustainable distribution ecosystem.