World Premiere of "The Education of Lantana"

The World Premiere of  "The Education of Lantana" for the celebration of the United Nations' International Day for the Girl Child on October 11, 2026 happened yesterday on my Screen Naija Cinema Channel on YouTube.

The short film totally produced with Google Gemini is on the official Theme: End child marriage and invest in girls' rights" of the United Nations

Focus Areas: Stopping child marriage, improving girls' access to education, fighting gender-based violence, and supporting youth-led advocacy and climate leadership. 

Attached the full soundtracks

"Beyond The Grass" and "Lantana's Promise"

With all the glory to Almighty God JEHOVAH who is the only one who supported me for this groundbreaking film production, which is first time that any Nigerian filmmaker will produce a film especial for the celebration of the annual  United Nations' International Day for the Girl.

I am also the first person to start the celebration in Nigeria with the Nigerian 

Premiere of “Girl Rising” with Holly Gordon of 10x10 and Participant Media on October 11-12, 2013. 

I also initiated the  Nigerian premiere of "HE NAMED ME MALALA" for the MALALA Fund on October 11, 2015.

"Nigerian premiere of "In The Name of Your Daughter" cosponsored by the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria on May 23, 2019.

"The Education of Lantana" is about a bright Muslim girl who boldly refused child marriage in northern Nigeria and appealed to go to school. 

Lantana said that Islam emphasized that the education of girls is a fundamental duty and an equal right for both males and females. A mandatory duty, because seeking knowledge is a sacred obligation for every Muslim, regardless of gender, as taught by Prophet Muhammad, under the protection of human intellect (al-Aql), enabling both men and women to make sound moral choices and understand their faith: that educated girls grow into knowledgeable mothers and community pillars who guide future generations.

"We are the mothers of nations."

#God

#lantana

#education

#internationaldayforthegirlchild

#girls

#genderequality

#humanrights

#leadership

Big Screen Hack London 2026

 

Big Screen Hack London is a premiere festival and hackathon circuit designed for AI-native filmmakers and developers. The October 2026 edition brings creative minds together over five days to develop short film pilots from scratch using advanced creative-AI tools. "

453 people took part
186 films and ads handed in, by 122 teams
More than 6 hours of brand new work for the judges
126 entries for The Greenlight, 33 for The Big Sell and 26 for Micro Drama
28 judges now working through all of it

You should be really proud of that.

The poster wall is live too, with 80 posters on it already. Go and have a look:
https://www.bigscreenhack.com/posters

If you haven’t uploaded your poster yet, please do, in the highest quality you possibly can. They’re going to look amazing at the IMAX and online 🎬 

A Time Travel with AI

 

Love is Not By Force

 Trapped in a gilded marriage to a ruthless Banana Island billionaire, a young Lagos woman risks her fortune and safety when she falls for a proud roadside mechanic, igniting a high-society war where love cannot be bought or forced."

New Nigerians Report Online Header

 

IGNORANCE is not BLISS

 

IGNORANCE is not BLISS
IGNORANCE Kills.
Ignorance begets violence.

Plato said:
"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."

Martin Luther King Jr said:
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

- EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,

Author of "Diary of the Memory Keeper" and other books.
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima

Willful ignorance is the deliberate choice to ignore facts, truth, or reality because knowing them would be inconvenient or challenging.

#ignorance
#disobedience
#stupidity
#violence
#truth
#plato
#martinlutherking

"Naked Beauty" in Production

First clip of my "Naked Beauty" romantic drama set in the Niger Delta in 2006.

https://lnkd.in/p/dUafA6dp

The innocent beauty of people in contrast to the beast of violence in the region caused by oil theft, destruction of oil pipelines and battles of power by the warlords in kidnappings and killings. 

Synopsis

A National Geographic photographer discovers Oma, whose black beauty is the epitome of the greatest treasure of the Niger Delta of NIgeria and he must save her before it is too late.

Naked Beauty is the screenplay of a romantic art film and thriller on the awesome beauty of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, showing the purity of the nudity of an African virgin on an Island as the personification of the greatest asset of the land which is not her highly priced crude oil, but the people and their exotic cultural heritage. Tonye, a National Geographic adventure photographer from America discovers Oma, the beautiful virgin maiden of Agaja village on Bonny Island who wants more than a village life. And Tonye's exhibition of her exotic beauty makes the cover of the Vogue America magazine. Tonye helps Oma to escape from rape and ruthless militants. She survives a pipeline explosion that killed her closest friend Uli and other villagers. And in spite of her trauma, she gains admission into the University of Port Harcourt.

She becomes an international supermodel.

Original Story by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, one of the most notable writers on Nollywood and the screenplay is coauthored with Dr. Christian Chika Onu, the multiple awards winning Nollywood producer at the University of Port Harcourt, the alma mater of many Nollywood stars.

I spent four years on Bonny Island for the research and recce.

"Naked Beauty" screenplay by Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima and Dr. Chika Christian Onu (Living in Bondage 2, Glamour Girls, Karashika, Peacemaker) is the first Nigerian screenplay published for commercial distribution.

"Naked Beauty" is a romantic drama set in Agaja fishing village on Bonny Island in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Naked Beauty

I saw you in the twilight
Disrobed in the state of nature
And I gaped and gasped in awesome delight
Spellbound and elated in rapture
As I beheld your voluptuous features
As I gazed upon your priceless treasures
From peak of the mountain
I went down to the fountain
In the valley of your mons veneris
And holding on to your alluring pillars
I have been transfixed at the altar of your estuary
The estuary of your conjugal sanctuary.

I saw the falconer trading his falcon
With the bounty hunter for his gun
Lost in their lust for your connubial offerings
Spellbound by the allures of your charms
And I came in the fleeting mist of the fleeing night
To behold you even before the Aurora Borealis
And saw you embracing the heavenly light
As Father Heaven kissed Mother Earth
And you were enchanted in heavenly mirth
Oblivious of my winking mortal eyes
Hypnotized in the ether of celestial bliss.
At the unveiling of the beloved daughter of Eve
Made perfect in the bowels of boundless love.

Let the fire be kindled in my heart
The eternal flame of my spirit
The breath of eternity
The ether of life formed in purity
Born bare and born free
As my enchanted eyes can now see
Freed from the chains of pains
The pains of natal travails
Oh! Woman! Thou art the vessel of motherhood.
And in thy mammary gourds abound our first food
How much every man in bound to thy loins
For from the canal every man is born
Through the third eye of Eve where love flows
From the seed sown the fruit is grown
The sweetest fruit of love is found in the virgin
To behold your naked beauty is not a sin.

~~ Orikinla Oosinachi, 2006.

Read the treatment on http://nakedbeautyfilm.blogspot.com/2006/08/making-of-naked-beauty.html

Order the screenplay in paperback or hardcover copies on https://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-chima-ekenyerengozi-and-christian-chika-onu/naked-beauty/hardcover/product-14m9e92r.html

#nakedbeauty
#beauty
#art
#bodypainting
#film
#nigerdelta
#nigeria

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michaelchimaeyerengozi_nakedbeauty-beauty-art-activity-7512081130217660416-9zFm?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&rcm=ACoAAACy6lwBd0XTDsvta0rFbzeVGySq8J17SC4&utm_campaign=share_via 

© 2026. EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima. All rights reserved. 

#nakedbeauty

#beauty

#art

#romance

#film

#nigerdelta

#nigeria

 

Farewell Tribute To Olu Jacobs

 

OLU JACOBS

I commend the matriarch, Ajoke Silva Jacobs, and the children, Olusoji, Olugbenga and Oludayo Jacobs, for a befitting funeral service and final rites for our dear departed Uncle Olu.

It was a two-hour concert experience worthy of Broadway: punctual, precise and beautifully cued, with music, sound and exhortation woven into an atmosphere of solemnity and peace. Only the aura of Olu Jacobs could have inspired such a farewell.

I can almost see him beaming his famous smile down at us and whispering approvingly, “Well done.”

Kudos also to the organisers and media team for a beautifully delivered tribute.

Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs has left us, but he will never be forgotten. His memory and legacy will remain treasured in our hearts.

Ọmọ rere á gbẹ̀yìn gbogbo wa.

Ire ni o.

-TK

The Education of Lantana

 

The Education of Lantana

"The Education of Lantana" is about a bright Muslim girl who boldly refused child marriage in northern Nigeria and appealed to go to school. She won her appeal by saying that Shehu Usman dan Fodio (15 December 1754 – 20 April 1817) , the Fulani scholar, Islamic religious teacher, poet, revolutionary and a philosopher who founded the Sokoto Caliphate and ruled as its first caliph supported the education of his beloved daughter, Princess Nana Asmaʼu. And how she started her teachers (Jajis) who travelled throughout the Caliphate educating women in the students' homes. In turn, each of these Jajis used Nana Asma’u's and other Sufi scholars writings, usually through recited mnemonics and poetry, to train crops of learned women, called the ’Yan-taru', or those who congregate together, the sisterhood.

Lantana said that Islam emphasized that the education of girls is a fundamental duty and an equal right for both males and females. A mandatory duty, because seeking knowledge is a sacred obligation for every Muslim, regardless of gender, as taught by Prophet Muhammad, under the protection of human intellect (al-Aql), enabling both men and women to make sound moral choices and understand their faith: that educated girls grow into knowledgeable mothers and community pillars who guide future generations.

"We are the mothers of nations."

Prophet Muhammad actively encouraged the education of women, setting aside dedicated days to teach them religious commandments and Aisha, the Prophet's youngest wife was among the major authorities in Islamic jurisprudence, narrating thousands of hadiths and teaching prominent male companions. 

The Imam of the mosque; the Alaramma of the madrasa and Shu'aban Makaranta of their Islamiyya school who were impressed by Lantana's Qur'anic memorization (Hifz) of the Surah Al-Baqarah, the second and longest chapter of the Quran, containing 286 verses supported her appeal and allowed her to return to school and not to be forced to marry.

The world premiere is for the celebration of the United Nations' International Day for the Girl Child on October 11, 2026 for the promotion of the campaign for the education of the millions of underprivileged girls out of school in northern Nigeria.

The Microdrama Boom vs. Traditional Streaming

The Microdrama Boom

The Format: True microdramas consist of 1-to-2-minute vertical episodes with heavy cliffhangers, popularized by specialized mobile apps like ReelShort and DramaBox. 

Market Competition: These snackable mobile apps pull significant daily engagement away from traditional subscription services like Netflix, prompting wider industry experiments with short-form and vertical media formats. 

The projected value of the global microdrama industry is $26 billion by 2030. Twenty-eight million American adults are already watching them, more than half aged between 18 and 34. In China, where the format originated, half of all internet users have now watched at least one.

https://www.wired.me/story/microdramas-are-the-attention-economys-new-tv-format#:

Micro-dramas—fast-paced, vertical-format video series with episodes lasting 1 to 2 minutes—have exploded into India's fastest-growing entertainment sector, currently valued at around $300 million and projected to reach billions by 2030. 

The market valuation and revenue of the US microdrama market is projected to reach $1.5 billion. Driven by explosive smartphone engagement, the format has shifted from an emerging niche into a major segment of the broader entertainment landscape.

The economic breakdown of this booming sector includes:
Market Projections & Growth
Rapid Expansion: According to research firm Omdia, the US market will jump from $1.5 billion to nearly $2 billion.

Long-Term Trajectory: A study from Media Partners Asia (MPA) published by Variety projects that US microdrama revenues will more than double over the coming years, reaching $3.7 billion.

Global Market Share: 

The US is the single largest microdrama market outside of China, commanding approximately 50% of all international short-drama revenues.

Individual App Valuations & Revenues
ReelShort Market Dominance: The leading US microdrama app, owned by Crazy Maple Studio, is on track to earn $1.05 billion individually. It holds a dominant 29% share of the market outside China.

Competitor Monetization: Competitors like DramaBox trail closely with a 21% market share, followed by emerging platforms like DramaWave (13%) and NetShort (10%).

 
Monetization Mechanics: 

The market operates predominantly on consumer pay-per-view tokens and subscriptions, which account for 85% to 90% of total platform earnings, while the remainder is covered by short in-app advertisements.
Contextualizing with Traditional Hollywood.

While traditional US television and subscription streaming remain massive at roughly $125 billion, that sector is contracting by nearly $15 billion annually due to cord-cutting. Microdramas have capitalized on this gap, with mobile users now spending more time per day watching vertical microdramas on their phones than streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

Micro-dramas—fast-paced, vertical, mobile-first video series with episodes lasting under three minutes—are rapidly emerging as a major entertainment boom in Nigeria.

The Rise of Nigerian Vertical Dramas

Explosive Growth: The format, which originated in China, has taken root in Nigeria's massive digital and Nollywood landscape.

Hit Productions: Shows like Billion Naira Bride, a 60-episode vertical drama produced by the Digital Creator Africa Academy (DCAA), shattered records by pulling in over 66 million views within three weeks of its release.

Platform Innovation: Telecommunication providers and streaming services are launching dedicated mobile platforms, such as Lebara Play, recognized as Africa’s first telco-powered micro-drama platform, alongside premieres like Imported Bahu."

 

"