Nollywood is one of the largest film industries in the world, prolific, culturally dominant, and deeply influential across the African continent and its global diaspora. For decades, its actors have commanded immense local audiences. Yet meaningful crossover into major international productions, particularly in lead roles has remained rare.
That is beginning to change. When Lady premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, the moment signalled more than festival success. It marked a rare milestone for African-led cinema on the global stage. That momentum culminated in the film receiving the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble at Sundance, a powerful validation of both performance and process.
Filmmaker and casting director Olasunkanmi Adebayo, through his company Afro-Wren Productions, is quietly reshaping that trajectory. His work is not simply about casting; it is about building a bridge by identifying, training, and positioning African actors for global screens with intentionality and international rigour.
On Lady, Adebayo led the casting, coaching, and performance development of emerging and non-traditional Nollywood talent in lead roles, a bold decision in an industry often driven by established star systems. Rather than relying on familiar names, the production invested in preparation: intensive workshops, character excavation, extended screen tests, and a 14-month casting process conducted across Lagos and southwestern Nigeria.
The process blended trained actors, first-time performers, and sex workers, centering emotional truth, lived experience, and performance integrity over recognisability.
“We weren’t just casting actors, we were building trust, community, and emotional safety around stories that rarely get told authentically,”
Adebayo explains.
“Lady took 14months of casting because we weren’t searching for familiarity, we were searching fortruth.”
Working closely with writer-director Olive Nwosu, and supported by international partners including HanWay Films, BFI, and Film4, the production challenged long-standing assumptions about where global-ready talent must come from and what infrastructure African actors need to lead internationally visible work.
Central to this process was actor wellbeing. Psychologists and intimacy coordinators were embedded into casting, rehearsal, and preparation, reframing actor preparation as emotional safeguarding rather than extraction.
“Actor preparation became care work as much as performance work,” Adebayo notes.
“Working with psychologists and intimacy coordinators transformed how I think about actor readiness, safety, and consent.”
The result was seismic. Lady went on to win at Sundance and receive major spotlight recognition at the Berlinale, including a sold-out European premiere at Berlinale Panorama where both the film and its cast were celebrated on the international stage. For Nollywood, this was more than a festival run. It was validation. It proved that when African actors are equipped with the right infrastructure, time, and care, they can anchor globally competitive cinema at the highest level.
But Adebayo’s work does not end there. Beyond feature films, Afro-Wren has built a track record in talent development and international circulation. Through Film Lab Africa, the company has worked closely with emerging actors and filmmakers to develop performances, produce short films, and strategically position those works at international festivals, creating early global exposure for local talent.
Afro-Wren’s approach to casting and performance has also translated into global short-form and documentary success. The company served as Casting Director on Milk (Herconomy: Breast Milk Money), a project that went on to receive multiple international honours, including top awards at the The Lovies and a shortlist placement at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The recognition further demonstrated Afro-Wren’s ability to deliver globally resonant performances across formats and platforms.
Adebayo also served as Casting Director on Clarissa, the forthcoming feature by Chuko Esiri and Arie Esiri, working alongside internationally renowned casting director Nina Gold. The project pairs local Nigerian talent with globally recognised actors, offering a sophisticated model of cross-border casting rooted in creative integration rather than hierarchy.
This approach marks a critical evolution in how African talent is positioned within global storytelling. It moves beyond co-production as a financial structure and into creative integration where casting becomes a deliberate act of cultural alignment.
At a time when Nollywood is increasingly visible through internationally acclaimed filmmakers such as Akinola Davies Jr. and CJ Obasi, Adebayo’s focus on performance preparation addresses a long-standing gap in global expansion strategies. Infrastructure around actors like training, coaching, emotional safety, and international readiness has often been the missing link.
By centering emerging talent and investing in process, Olasunkanmi and Afro-Wren Productions are advancing a sustainable model for crossover success. For investors, studios, and international partners, the message is clear: the pipeline is strengthening. The talent is prepared. The audience is already global.
As Nollywood continues to expand its footprint across streamers, festivals, and international co-productions, this moment signals more than momentum. It signals maturation. The next wave of African cinema will not only travel, it will lead. And the actors at its centre will arrive fully prepared.
Source: Press release from Afro-Wren Productions.
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