Filmmaker Ololade Oludotun wins maiden contest for African visual storytellers

A Nigerian filmmaker Ololade Olufisayo Oludotun has been named the inaugural winner of the Native Shorts Creatives Competition for his short film ‘Lost But Found’.

Oludotun emerged as the winner based on his film about the challenges faced by girl children globally, owing to deeply rooted and persistent exclusion from opportunities that create barriers for girls globally.

In the film, a young girl tells her story of navigating through life’s difficult journey, carrying heavy household responsibilities that kept her from school, increasing the odds of child marriage and pregnancy.

But the girl discovers her passion for art as a street trader, and through bravery and sheer determination overcame her obstacle.

Oludotun’s film is one that reaches across cultures and generations about gender prejudice and resulting gender discrimination that begin in childhood, and conflict, poverty and other forms of social disadvantage that magnify gender inequality, according to Iamnativ, the organizers of the award. 

“I am encouraged,” Oludotun said, “Winning a global award at a time of global crises when women and young girls everywhere face an immense range of challenges—from the inability to access food, education and employment to the threat of gender-based violence feels like a tremendous honour and an equally tremendous responsibility to do more advocacy with my films.”

“The sooner any nation understands girl children are as equally important and that the lack of women in leadership roles holds back not only women, but all people, the sooner we will be able to advance society as a whole,” he added.

He will get a cash prize of £1,500 ($1,918), ahead of Abdoulie B. Jarju, a Gambian who won the second prize for $500, while the third prize of $500 was awarded to another Nigerian Benjamin Olukoya for his film The Nightmare.

Other shortlisted filmmakers were Babucarr Manka (Gambia) for Who are you?; Brian Odong (Uganda) for Blocked; Jacktone Alufwani (Kenya) for The Dusk; and Ubi Ofem Ubi (Nigeria) for You Good? The short film competition organised by the online platform, iamnativ.com, is open to visual storytellers in Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.

Oludotun has directed multiple short films, including “Stupid Finder,” which officially premiered on YouTube in May 2022 by EbonyLife Creative Academy owned by the famous media entrepreneur Mo Abudu and supported by the Lagos State Government.