Femi Oladigbolu’s Debut Short Film Is an Afrofuturist Exploration of Yoruba Deities

Femi Oladigbolu’s debut short tells the story of “a lost boy in the diaspora falling into his destiny”.

Produced by Somesuch, the Afrofuturist film is a visually striking offering that follows a young man, named Ayo, who’s been chosen as the next successor to the late king.

​Throughout the 11-minute short, Oladigbolu weaves in elements of a specific Yoruba religion – a longstanding interest of his. Ayo, is, as Oladigbolu says, a reflection of himself and the film is an exploration of his fascination with African deities, combined with his Nigerian heritage and experiences growing up in the UK.

“As a Nigerian Black-British filmmaker, I acknowledge that my perspective may not align with the mainstream, yet I possess a wealth of stories that I am uniquely qualified to tell. This film serves as a manifestation of the tales passed down to me since childhood, blending the richness of my Nigerian heritage, my imagination and experiences growing up in the UK.” said Femi Oladigbolu.

In a re-imagined future, a King of a Nigerian village passes. The village kingmakers consult with traditional Gods until Ayo, an unsuspecting young man from South-East London, is selected as the new Oba. Ayo is suddenly plunged into a surreal journey of reconnection and discovery.

Femi Oladigbolu is an award-winning writer-director from South London with Nigerian heritage. Femi's talent lies in subtle storytelling, creating warmth and affinity for characters through thick subtext and light humour. In 2022, Femi won a writing competition run by BBH and directed his latest short film, 'Oba,' which has been screened at several BAFTA and Oscar Qualifying international festivals.

A go-to director in UK Grime, Oladigbolu lives and works in London, exploring the fabric of the city and the unexamined experiences of working class communities. He broke out with 'Blue: Winter’s Only Winner', an episodic docudrama for South London rapper A2, as well as his work on ‘Aphorisms’, a short about British Youth which has since become a cult favourite.

His commercial work includes ‘Take the Knee’ for The Premier League, ‘Backgroad G: The Agenda’ for Apple, ‘Elite Book’ for HP and ‘Team Spectral’ for Adidas. He has also directed spots for Heathrow, Operation Black Vote and The London Screen Academy.

More recently, he directed music videos for ‘Feelings’ by Jorja Smith, ‘Toxic Trait’ by Stormzy, ‘Victory Dance’ by Ezra Collective, and ‘Mixed Emotions’ by Chase & Status, which was nominated for Best Dance / Electronic Video at the UKMVAs.