As another year comes to a close, it’s time to recognise the best film directors of 2022, who floored us with their unique visual styles and storytelling techniques.
These directors brought their A-game, creating beautiful magic behind the scenes that translated on screen. From the initial idea and visualising the script to guiding the actors and technical crew, they put in the work to create the amazing movies we get to see and push the Nollywood film industry forward.
In no particular order, here are our top five Nollywood directors of 2022:
CJ Obasi
Since his 2014 feature debut, ‘Ojuju’, Obasi has consistently put out outstanding work. Braving the odds by choosing the horror lane, this creative outcast has continued to make his mark with projects like ‘Juju Stories’ and his latest project — a black-and-white folklore movie called ‘Mami Wata.’
First announced in 2016, the movie officially wrapped post-production earlier this year. Unlike the other directors who made this list with released movies, Obasi’s movie is not out yet, but he understandably deserves to be here based on how many accolades this highly anticipated upcoming movie has garnered so far.
The latest is that ‘Mami Wata’ is headed to the Sundance Film Festival, one of the biggest destinations for independent filmmakers, for its global premiere next year; a huge win for Obasi and the rest of the industry. Look out for our exclusive interview with Obasi and his producer/wife Oge Obasi to learn more about ‘Mami Wata.’
Emamode Edosio
In 2018, Edosio got everyone talking with her directorial debut, ‘Kasala,’ which got selected for the closing gala of the 2018 edition of Film Africa in London out of a total of 39 films from 15 countries.
She returns this year with her second feature, ‘Otiti.’ Like her first, this has been well-received in the country and across the world, proving that ‘Kasala’ was no beginner's luck, but the product of someone with a good eye for storytelling and that Edosio is here to stay.
The New York Film Academy graduate is currently working on her next film, and we are already into it.
Orimz
With 2022 movies like ‘Babymaker’, ‘Blurred’ and ‘Choke,’ Orimz stamps his mark as a director who knows how to tell a captivating story and one to watch out for.
The latter, in particular, is a thought-provoking thriller that draws viewers in with how the director handles the movie’s delicate subject matter. It's no wonder it took home the Audience Choice Award at this year’s AFRIFF.
With upcoming projects like ‘The Stone Drew Ripples,’ we look forward to seeing more intriguing work from Orimz.
Tope Oshin
Oshin stands out for taking on unique projects like ‘Up North,’ and the award-winning ‘We Don’t Live Here Anymore.’ The prolific filmmaker returns with ‘Here Love Lies’ as both the director, co-producer, and female lead.
With an incredible cast, she delivers another masterpiece, that has become the first African film to receive the ReFrame Stamp, an initiative by the Sundance Institute, Women In Film, and IMDBpro.
The romantic thriller recently won the Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an African-born Director Living Abroad at the 2022 AMAA.
Dare Olaitan
Following great movies like ‘Ojukokoro’, and ‘Knockout Blessing’, Olaitan continues the good work with ‘Ile Owo’, which is his fourth project as a director.
With ‘Ile Owo’, described as more of a psychological thriller than scary horror, he shows his ability to play around with genres as he dives into horror and delivers arguably one of the best movies of the year, despite its flaws.
We applaud Olaitan (also the writer) for attempting to try his hand at horror, which is often ignored in favour of popular, well-performing genres like comedy, and drama. We can not wait to see what he does next year.
Be sure to check back for our list of the top Nollywood actors!