Segilola Ogidan and Ozzy Agu are some of the main actors in Over the Bridge. PHOTO/COURTESY
The Nigerian psychological thriller Over the Bridge premiered in Kenyan cinemas on June 6, courtesy of Screen Connect, a new Pan-African distribution initiative. Incubated in 2024 under Some Fine Day Pix and GIZ’s Moving Pictures programme, Screen Connect aims to bring high-quality, culturally relevant African films to cinema screens across the continent.
The initiative seeks to bridge long-standing distribution gaps and connect African audiences with African stories. From Kigali to Nairobi to Lagos to Johannesburg, and everywhere else lovers of film may be.
“It’s unfortunate that even with the growing global appetite for African stories, African audiences still struggle to access films from other parts of the continent,” says co-founder Cassandra Onwualu (Nigeria). “We want Kenyan audiences to watch great Nigerian films, and vice versa.
Through strategic partnerships with filmmakers, distributors, and cinemas, Screen Connect will bridge these gaps, elevate African storytelling, promote local talent and contribute to the growth of the African film industry.”
Onwualu is joined by co-founders Marete Selvin (Kenya) and Mizero Kabano Yannick (Rwanda). Over the Bridge is their first theatrical release under the Screen Connect banner, with more to follow as they expand into additional African territories.
The film follows Folarin, an accomplished investment banker with a beautiful wife and a life most people can only dream of. When a high-profile government project his firm is hired to manage goes awry, he begins to question everything he has ever known to be true.
Directed by Tolu Ajayi, known for MTV “Shuga Naija” and Showmax’s “Diiche,” Over the Bridge” stars Ozzy Agu (Castle and Castle), Segilola Ogidan (A Naija Christmas), Joke Silva (Blood Sisters), Deyemi Okanlawon (Blood Sisters), Chimezie Imo (Breath of Life) and Paul Adam (La Femme Anjola).
Over the Bridge is a modern parable that moves from rustic and rarefied scenes in a fisherman’s boat to the duels and double-dealing of the corporate boardroom,” says director Ajayi.
“I was drawn to this story by memories of a corporate internship in my late teens, where I observed the so-called ‘masters of the Nigerian financial universe’ during the Lagos financial boom of the 1990s.
That experience shaped my understanding of stories about corporate power, personal sacrifice, and the social consequences that come with success, revealing the truth that having it all often means bearing it all.”
The film received 12 nominations at the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), including Best Director, Best Movie and Best Editing, and went on to win Best Cinematography and Best Production Design.
Over the Bridge will screen at Century Cinemax Junction, Garden City and Two Rivers in Nairobi from June 6 through the end of June.
The Screen Connect aims to connect African filmmakers with audiences across the continent, showcasing the richness and diversity of African cinema while providing opportunities for cultural exchange and economic growth.
