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Tope Oshin

Tope OshinListenⓘ is a Nigerian television and film director, producer and casting director, listed as one of the most influential Nigerians in film in 2019.[2] In 2015 Pulse magazine named her as one of "9 Nigerian female movie directors you should know" in the Nollywood film industry.[3] and in March 2018, in commemoration of the Women's History Month, Tope was celebrated by OkayAfrica as one of the Okay100 Women.[4] The interactive campaign celebrates extraordinary women from Africa and the diaspora making waves across a wide array of industries, while driving positive impact in their communities and the world at large.

Early life and education

Tope hails from a devout Christian family. As a child, she engaged in drawing, singing, and dancing, and had aspirations to be a painter. She studied Economics at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, and then Theatre Arts, TV & Film Production at Lagos State University.[5] She became more interested in filmmaking and later studied Film Production, and Cinematography at Colorado Film School of the Community College of Aurora, Denver,[6] and Met Film School, Ealing Studios, London respectively. Tope is also an alumnus of 'Talents Durban' [7] and Berlinale Talents,[8][9] a networking summit of select outstanding creatives from the world of film and drama series across the globe.

Career

Tope, who was an actor for 12 years, featuring in films like Relentless (2010 film), before veering into directing, working as an associate producer and assistant director for The Apprentice Africa.[5] and has since become known for directing popular African TV dramas and soap operas such as Hush, Hotel Majestic, Tinsel (TV series) and MTV Shuga.[10]Though she has directed and produced several introspective short film projects such as The Young Smoker, Till Death Do Us Part, New Horizons and Ireti, she is known best for her highly successful 2018 feature film releases Up North (film),[11] and New Money.[12]

Oshin has produced some of the highest box office breaking movies in Nigeria, including the 2015 romantic film Fifty,[13] about four fifty-year-old female Lagos residents, which broke box office records upon release in December 2015, taking N20 million in the first weekend.[14] and The Wedding Party 2, as at 2018, the highest grossing Nigerian film.[15]

In 2016, she produced and directed the documentary, Amaka's Kin: The Women Of Nollywood, as a memorial to prominent filmmaker Amaka Igwe, who died in 2014. The documentary addresses issues facing Nigerian female directors, working in a male-dominated industry.[16]

As a follow-up to her documentary, in 2017, and as part of the BBC 100 Women season, Tope celebrated the new generation of women filmmakers reinventing Nollywood, by presenting the BBC documentary Nigeria-Shooting It Like A Woman.[17]Apart from the BBC World Service documentary, Tope's Amaka's Kin - The Women Of Nollywood also influenced a lot of other TV shows and literary works alike, including Niran Adedokun's book Ladies Calling the Shots.[18]

Oshin racked up some controversy in Nigeria,[19] when she co-wrote, directed and produced the Queer film We Don't Live Here Anymore (2018 film)[20] for human rights organization TIERs (The Initiative For Equal Rights) in 2018. The movie was not accepted for a cinema release and received only a limited online release[21] with FilmOne Distribution in 2018. We Don't Live Here Anymore however screened at Africa In Motion Film Festival[22] in Glasgow, and also racked up a lot of nominations and awards[23] surprisingly at 2018 Best Of Nollywood Awards in Nigeria. The film can be found currently on Amazon.

Tope also has a thriving career as a Casting director and has cast for several film and television projects including all 3 Nigerian seasons of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation drama series Shuga[24]

Tope, through her company Sunbow Productions [ng], was commissioned to produce[25] Season 8 of MTV Shuga (TV Series), dubbed MTV Shuga Naija 4, and is credited[26] as Head Director, Showrunner, Executive Producer and Producer, after directing and casting Season 6 of the show in 2017.

In 2015 Tope served as a juror for the International Emmy Award for the first time.[27]

Personal life

Tope's 2002 marriage to screenwriter, Yinka Ogun, ended in 2014. The union produced four children.[28]

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Documentaries

Television

Awards and nominations

Honors

See also

References

  1. ^ Online, Tribune (14 December 2018). "Tope Oshin sets the pace for female directors as she goes 'Up North'". Tribune Online.
  2. ^ "YNaija presents: The 100 most influential Nigerians in Film in 2019 » YNaija". November 2019.
  3. ^ a b "9 Nigerian female movie directors you should know". Pulse. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  4. ^ "TOPE OSHIN-OkayAfrica's 100 Women". OkayAfrica. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Amaka Igwe encouraged me to go into directing —Nollywood star Tope Oshin Ogun". The Nation. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Hooray for Nollywood: how women are taking on the world's third largest film industry". The Irish Times. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Tope Oshin - The Rise Of A Female Filmmaker". Omenka Online. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Tope Oshin - Berlinale Talents".
  9. ^ "Four For Berlinale Talents". ThisDay. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  10. ^ a b "MTV Shuga Season 6 launches in Africa". The Net NG. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Tope Oshin's up North is Coming to Netflix this October". 4 October 2019.
  12. ^ "New Money (2018)". IMDB.
  13. ^ ""Fifty" producer shares the key to becoming a successful filmmaker". Pulse. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Nigerian movie breaks box office record, makes N20m in holiday weekend". Pulse. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  15. ^ "The Wedding Party 2 - Sequel becomes Highest Grossing Nollywood Movie Of all Time". Pulse. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Tope Oshin to debut documentary on women of Nollywood". Pulse. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  17. ^ a b "BBC World Service - The Documentary, Nigeria: Shooting It Like A Woman". BBC World Service.
  18. ^ "Ladies Calling The Shots - Book on Female Directors For Launch in Lagos". 17 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  19. ^ "Tope Oshin's 'We Don't Live Here Anymore' Rattles Nollywood". THISDAYLIVE. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  20. ^ "Watch trailer for new Nigerian gay-themed movie". 8 May 2018.
  21. ^ "Tenaa.TV".
  22. ^ "We Don't Live Here Anymore".
  23. ^ "BON Awards 2018: Tope Oshin's 'We Don't Live Here Anymore' wins Best Movie of the Year » YNaija". 10 December 2018.
  24. ^ "Shuga(TV Series) - Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.
  25. ^ "Tope Oshin to Produce New MTV Shuga Series". 29 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Shuga (TV Series 2009– ) - IMDb". IMDb.
  27. ^ "EbonyLife hosts Emmy Awards Judging Event". 17 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  28. ^ The360reporters (19 April 2020). "Tope Oshin Biography, Movies, Marriage And Net Worth". Latest News and Entertainment Updates. Retrieved 29 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ "InLine-Tope Oshin's Amazing Film". TNS Nigeria.
  30. ^ "New Money (2018)". IMDB.
  31. ^ "Tope Oshin's New Film - We Don't Live Here Anymore". YNaija. 12 May 2018.
  32. ^ "Banky W to lead cast for Tope Oshin's Up North". XploreNollywood.
  33. ^ "Tope Oshin is back! Watch new teaser for feature film 'Here Love Lies' [Pulse Exclusive]". 6 August 2021.
  34. ^ "BFI Press release - Beyond Nollywood showcases New Nigerian Cinema 2016" (PDF).
  35. ^ "BFI Press release - Beyond Nollywood showcases New Nigerian Cinema 2016" (PDF).
  36. ^ "Before stardom with...Tope Oshin". Punch Newspapers. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  37. ^ "Shuga (TV Series 2009– ) - IMDb". IMDb.
  38. ^ "'We Don't Live Here Anymore' bags 5 awards at the Best of Nollywood Awards 2018". 10 December 2018.
  39. ^ user (22 November 2021). "Tope Oshin Scoops Best Director Award At Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival | Nolly Silver Screen". Retrieved 3 January 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  40. ^ Nwogu, Precious 'Mamazeus' (22 November 2021). "Tope Oshin's 'In Line' movie scoops new award 4 years post release". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  41. ^ "Feature Film". ReFrame. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  42. ^ "Tope Oshin".
  43. ^ "And the Winner is… 19-Year-Old Udeh Precious emerges Winner of the 2018 Sisi Oge Cultural Pageant". 20 April 2018.
  44. ^ "We got awarded a Medal of Honor at In-Short Film Festival 2016". December 2016.
  45. ^ "Nigerian Tope Ogun Wins AWDF Women in Film Award". 30 June 2015.
  46. ^ NIFSummit. "Tope Oshin - Nigerian International Film & TV Summit". nifsummit.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

External links