Nigerian filmmaker Damilola Orimogunje’s second feature film, Dear Ajayi, has been selected for the Giornate degli Autori competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Italy.
The film follows estranged sisters, Ade and Titi Ajayi, as they navigate family tensions while caring for their ailing mother in 1990s southwestern Nigeria, exploring themes of family, faith, ambition and women’s choices in a changing society.
The Venice International Film Festival is holding from Sept. 2 to 12 in Venice, Italy, with Dear Ajayi listed among the titles in the Giornate degli Autori competition programme, according to the section’s official website.
Orimogunje also announced the film’s selection on his official Instagram account, @damiorimogunje, where he has been sharing updates on its festival journey.
The film’s public screening and question-and-answer session with members of the filmmaking team are scheduled as part of its Venice programme.
According to its official festival synopsis, Dear Ajayi centres on two estranged sisters whose differing beliefs and aspirations come into focus as they care for their sick mother.
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Ade, a devout Christian and family breadwinner, is contrasted with Titi, an aspiring singer whose independent outlook challenges established expectations.
The cast includes Bimbo Akintola, Tosin Adeyemi, Lanre Hassan, William Benson, Antar Laniyan, Uzoamaka Power, Michelle Dede and Chioma Omeruah, popularly known as Chigul.
Dear Ajayi is a Nigeria-Germany production written and directed by Orimogunje and is scheduled for release in Nigerian cinemas on Nov. 13.
The selection marks a significant festival milestone for Orimogunje, with ‘Dear Ajayi’ becoming the first Nigerian film selected for the Giornate degli Autori section of the Venice Film Festival.
Orimogunje previously directed For Maria: Ebun Pataki and served as a producer on All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White, which won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival.
NAN
