Kunle Afolayan October 1: First Nigerian Movie To Debut On Netflix

Published on March 1, 2015

March 1st, 2015 – Kunle Afolayan October 1 Nigerian, Nollywood Movie Debuts On Netflix Today

About 5 months of its release, October 1 has literarily set filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, on a serial journey of film festivals, while basking in the euphoria of 13 nominations, the highest by a single movie, in the forthcoming Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA).

Just back from the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), Los Angeles, United States where the film won the Festival Programmer’s award for Best Narrative Feature Film, the filmmaker headed for Athens, Greece, where he participated in the 4th edition of the African Film Week, organised by the Greek Film Archive Foundation.

It was double celebrations for the award-winning artiste in Greece, who also represented Tunde Kelani’s new movie, Dazzling Mirage, in which he played the lead male.
October 1 which officially open the festival on Thursday, February 19, 2015, ranked top among several feature, short and documentary films from nine African countries with themes that depict their various cultural experiences.

They include a documentary on the life of sculptor Gamal El Sagni and Asham- A Man Called Hope from Egypt, Sarafina and LOL with President Mandela from South Africa, Nairobi Half Life and Something Neccessary from Kenya, Jeudi apres-midi from Tunisia, Adios Carmen and Zero from Morocco, Militants from Tunisia, Njinga from Angola and Viva Riva from Democratic Republic of Congo among others.

“It feels very good as the Greek audience are new to African cinemas,” said Afolayan who added that though the theme of October 1 is not strange to the Greeks, the case with Dazzling Mirage appears different because the people are not aware of the dangers in sickle cell anaemia. In Athens, Afolayan was received by the Nigerian Ambassador to Athens, Greece, Ambassador Ayodele and the staff of the Embassy.

Among his networkings at PAFF earlier in the month, was Afolayan’s interaction withn Hollywood actor, Denzel Washington, for which both shared their thoughts about African films possible collaboration. “We also talked about future project and he said he was looking forward to coming to Lagos,” Afolayan told reporters

There are indications that the filmmaker’s next project, The CEO, which seeks cast across Africa, Europe and America might engage Mr. Washington.

October 1 which is currently showing on Box Office on DSTV Explora, will be on Netflix from March 1, the first of such deal for a Nigerian movie.