What happens when a Nigerian filmmaker known for telling homegrown stories finds himself standing before an international audience of aspiring filmmakers?
For Uzee Usman, the answer may signal the beginning of something much bigger as he becomes the first Nigerian actor to lecture international film students at the Toronto Film School.
The actor, producer and filmmaker recently took his experience beyond the Nollywood set to Toronto Film School, where he was invited to speak to film students from around the world about filmmaking, storytelling and his journey in the Nigerian film industry.
It was more than a lecture. It was an opportunity to present the Nigerian filmmaking experience from the perspective of someone who has produced more than 40 films and continues to push stories rooted in reality.
“I love telling realistic stories,” Usman told the students, stressing the importance of authenticity and stories that audiences can recognise and connect with.
But there was another message behind his appearance: Nollywood does not have to remain isolated from the rest of the world.
Usman spoke about his desire to bridge the gap between Nollywood and Hollywood, creating room for knowledge exchange, creative partnerships and productions that bring filmmakers from both industries together.
His international visibility has also grown following his lead performance as Scourge in Netflix’s The Covenant, with the much-anticipated second season expected in November.
Yet Usman’s ambitions appear to go beyond personal recognition. For years, he has used filmmaking to explore Nigerian realities while advocating for peace and understanding, particularly in Northern Nigeria and across the country.
“Peace can be advocated through storytelling. When people understand each other’s stories, they begin to understand each other.”
That philosophy is now meeting a global audience. His Toronto Film School invitation, coupled with his visibility at the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival, has drawn renewed attention to a filmmaker whose career is increasingly moving between local storytelling and international cinema.
And perhaps the most interesting question is no longer where Uzee Usman has come from. It is where the next story will take him.
With international audiences watching, The Covenant, continuing its journey and the prospect of future Nollywood-Hollywood collaborations, Usman appears ready to turn his experience into something larger than a film career, a platform for Nigerian stories, global collaboration and the belief that cinema can bring people closer together.
Credit: Leadership
