Filmhouse Group, one of West Africa’s leading entertainment company, took center stage at the Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS) during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, urging the industry to build global-ready structures.

The group led a conversation on Nollywood’s evolving role on the global stage.

The session, titled ‘The Nollywood Conversations: A Deep Dive into Opportunities to Present African Stories for Global Screens,’ unpacked the current challenges and future possibilities for African cinema, with Filmhouse Group presenting an integrated model of distribution, production, and global partnerships.

Represented by Kene Okwuosa, the Group CEO, Filmhouse Group, and Ladun Awobokun, Chief Content Officer FilmOne Entertainment – Filmhouse executives outlined the company’s role in bridging African content with international markets. “We must invest in scalable ecosystems,” said Awobokun. “For Nollywood to thrive globally, structure and sustainability must meet creativity.”

Speaking on the panel, Kene Okwuosa reiterated, “The world wants African stories, but it’s our responsibility to ensure we’re creating the ecosystems to sustain that demand,” he said.

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“From licensing frameworks and exhibition strategies to co-productions and international distribution, we must build for scale, not just success.”

Filmhouse, through its distribution arm – FilmOne Entertainment, holds theatrical licenses in West Africa with major Hollywood studios including Disney, Warner Bros., Empire, Angel Studios and Sony.

They also command a majority market share for distributing Nollywood titles. The company’s presence at Cannes signals a strategic push to expand Nollywood’s global footprint; not just through content, but by investing in infrastructure and engaging in policy that supports the industry’s long-term growth.

The conversation also featured exclusive previews of Filmhouse-backed projects including 77: The Festac Conspiracy, emphasizing a focus on high-production-value stories built for international audiences.

The session drew participation from policymakers, financiers, and creatives, reinforcing Nigeria’s role as a key player in the evolving global entertainment economy.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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