If you speak of superhero characters and movies in Nigeria, you instantly consider the US, however Urenna Amadi, a movie director, is altering that narrative, changing into the primary particular person within the nation to attain that feat.
Born on twenty seventh November, Amadi, a multi-talented sculptor, artist, comedian e-book author, writer, and filmmaker, has made a major mark within the inventive trade, rising by way of the ranks of her household enterprise, Afriwood Movement Footage (Afriwood Movies).
In the present day, she serves because the inventive and government director of Afriwood Movies, increasing the corporate from a small enterprise right into a thriving multimedia powerhouse.
Below her management, Afriwood Movies has developed right into a distinguished participant within the Nigerian leisure trade, with ventures in each comics and movies. Moreover, Amadi spearheaded the launch of the Afriwood Movies Initiative, a non-governmental organisation aimed toward creating alternatives for African filmmakers. Via this initiative, Afriwood gives coaching for aspiring filmmakers and actors by way of its academy, serving to to form the way forward for African cinema.
Award-Profitable Filmmaker and International Recognition
Urenna Amadi’s skills as a filmmaker have been delivered to the forefront in 2019 when she co-wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning movie Not a Slave. The movie garnered worldwide acclaim and earned her the title of Finest Feminine Filmmaker on the Accolade International Movie Competitors in 2019, amongst different prestigious accolades. This achievement solidified her popularity as one in all Nigeria’s most progressive filmmakers.
In 2021, she added one other feather to her cap by creating Nigeria’s first live-action superhero character, Shutter-Chicken, a film/comedian e-book character impressed by her personal life story. This creation marked a groundbreaking second in Nigerian popular culture, bringing a singular African superhero to life and capturing the creativeness of audiences each domestically and internationally.
Nurturing Future Filmmakers
Because the driving power behind Afriwood Movie Academy, Amadi has efficiently skilled over 225 college students, lots of whom are actually employed within the Nigerian movie trade. Throughout her time mentoring aspiring filmmakers, she directed and produced a number of quick movies, together with The Silly Painter (2014), Sport Boys Play (2015), Identical Lady (2015), Who Cares (2017), Loopy Present-Tunnel (2017), and Facebooking (2017).
Early Life and Schooling of Urenna Amadi
Urenna Amadi was born and raised in Owerri, Imo State, in a household with robust inventive roots. Her father, the late Sonnie Amadi, was the primary journalist of their group, Umuororonjo village and he or she labored carefully with him earlier than his passing. Her father’s sickness and the monetary pressure that adopted led her to Lagos on the age of seven, the place she lived along with her aunt and accomplished her major training. She returned to Owerri after her father’s dying and continued her education.
From an early age, Amadi displayed a ardour for drawing, a ability her mother and father inspired. This expertise served as a refuge throughout troublesome occasions, particularly after her father’s passing. Throughout her secondary faculty years, she developed a love for robotics, soccer, and video video games, and initially dreamed of changing into an engineer. Though she was provided admission to review laboratory science on the Federal College of Know-how, she in the end transferred to Imo State College, the place she studied Tremendous and Utilized Arts, graduating as a sculptor.
Following her college training, Amadi accomplished her Nationwide Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, the place she labored as an artwork trainer at Winners Chapel Faculty.
Present Function and Legacy
In the present day, Amadi serves because the CEO of Afriwood Movies, persevering with to push the boundaries of creativity in Nigeria. With a legacy that features nurturing younger filmmakers, producing award-winning movies, and introducing iconic African superheroes to the world, she is a trailblazer within the Nigerian inventive trade. Her journey from a younger artist in Owerri to a celebrated filmmaker and government director is a testomony to her resilience, imaginative and prescient, and keenness for storytelling.
She stays dedicated to increasing alternatives for African filmmakers and advancing the illustration of African tales on the worldwide stage.
