Omotola Jalade–Ekeinde has spent over three many years in entrance of the digicam, turning into one among Africa’s most celebrated actresses and even incomes a spot on the TIME 100 record. Now, she’s stepped into a completely new position, this time behind the digicam. On 6 September 2025, on the fiftieth Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition (TIFF), Omotola premiered her directorial debut, “Mom’s Love,” marking a brand new chapter in her extraordinary profession.
The movie’s first screening was held at TIFF’s Lightbox 5, the place an viewers of distributors, gross sales brokers, and business insiders gathered to see what the Nollywood icon had created. And for Omotola, who has lengthy been a face of African cinema, it was an opportunity to lastly inform a narrative via her personal lens.
“Mom’s Love” is an intimate have a look at maternal resilience, exploring the quiet however enduring affect of moms throughout completely different walks of life. At its core, it examines mother-daughter relationships—notably these between moms and their first daughters—whereas additionally relating themes of grief, PTSD, and social inequality.
The screening drew a exceptional crowd, from Nigeria’s NFVSB Director Basic Shuaibu Hussein to acclaimed filmmakers Obi Emelonye, Lonzo Nzekwe, and Charles Uwagbai. Solid and crew members, together with supporting actress Lilian Afegbai, producer Rogers Ofime, producer and director Oreoluwa Awolowo Nora, author Oyin Debby, and casting director and actor Lala Akindoju had been additionally in attendance. Acquainted Nollywood faces like Linda Osifo and OC Ukeje joined the viewers, alongside buddies who got here to cheer Omotola on.
The response was resoundingly constructive. UK-based director Obi Emelonye described it as “a debut that deserves to be studied at Harvard,” a glowing endorsement that speaks to the burden of her first outing as a filmmaker.
Set to premiere in Lagos in early 2026 earlier than a wider world launch, the movie’s journey will align with Mom’s Day, making its themes all of the extra poignant. For Omotola, this isn’t only a new inventive milestone, it’s additionally a celebration of her exceptional journey in movie, one which has seen her evolve from Nollywood royalty into a worldwide cultural voice.
At its coronary heart, “Mom’s Love” tells the story of a younger girl from a privileged background who, throughout her NYSC yr, steps past her sheltered upbringing to find resilience, identification, and function—all formed by the regular steering of her mom’s love.
The forged contains Omotola herself, alongside Ifeanyi Kalu, Noray Nehita, Lilian Afegbai, Nosa Rex, and Olumide Oworu.
See images from the premiere beneath
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