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''Ìfé'' also spelt as ''Ife'' () is a 2020 Nigerian
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
romantic film executive produced by prominent Nigerian LGBTQ rights activist
Pamela Adie Pamela Adie (, born Biwom Pamela Adie; 15 April 1984) is a Nigerian LGBT rights activist, public speaker, screenwriter and filmmaker. Pamela is hailed as a prominent public speaker advocating for LGBTQ community and has often raised her voice on ...
and directed by
Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim (born 1989) is a Nigerian film producer, screenwriter and filmmaker, who creates works which tell the stories of Nigeria's marginalised LGBTQ communities. In 2020, the BBC included her in its list of the 100 Women of the Year. ...
. The film is touted to be the first full fledged lesbian film in the history of
Nollywood Nollywood, a portmanteau of Nigeria and Hollywood, is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term goes back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history ...
. However some sources stated that it is also the first Nigerian LGBT film. The film revolves around the lives of a same sex women couple who also face challenges by being lesbians in Nigeria. With the release of the official trailer of the film on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
in July 2020, the film is expected to be released via internet possibly at the end of the year. The film raised concerns and publicity among Nigerians for the film genre coupled with the trailer reception.


Cast

* Cindy Amadi as Adora *
Uzoamaka Aniunoh Uzoamaka Aniunoh is a Nigerian actor, writer, and director. Her first part was in the web-series MTV Shuga Alone Together. During the COVID-19 pandemic she returned to the series as the actors recorded their performances via video calls to each o ...
as Ìfé


Production

It was revealed that the script was penned as a romantic story between two females and the project was initiated jointly by Uyai Ikpe-Etim and Pamela Adie in collaboration with the Equality Hub, an NGO which operates in Nigeria focusing on LGBT rights. The film was set to break the stereotypes faced by the Nollywood industry which historically failed to live up to the expectations of portraying the LGBTQ elements.


Censorship

The film dealt with censorship issues during its production phase due to its genre related to LGBTQ. the film production and
principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
was not meant to be smooth for the filmmakers due to the interference of National Film and Video Censors Board which threatened and refused to approve the film for the theatrical distribution. Prior to the release of the official trailer in July 2020, it was noted that the film was not submitted by the filmmakers to the NFVCB. The theatrical interpretation of LGBT in Nigeria is regarded to be controversial. The same sex relationship is considered as a serious offense in Nigeria and a punishment of 14 years imprisonment is imposed if found guilty. The Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2014 was passed by former President
Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to former military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari and ...
which terms same sex marriages and LGBT as illegal. Adedayo Thomas, the executive director of NFVCB in an interview with ''
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
'' insisted that the Board would not approve films which promote themes and portrayal of elements that do not conform with Nigeria's values, beliefs, morals, traditions and constitution. The NFVCB also issued warnings and threats stating that it would track the LGBT filmmakers in Nollywood following the production of ''Ife''.


Release

Though the film wasn't banned officially by the NFVCB, the film was scheduled for release via online platforms instead of a theatrical release to avoid censorship issues and due to the uncertainties brought about by the
COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria The COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first confirmed case in Nigeria was announced on 27 February 2020, whe ...
. The filmmaker Adie revealed that the film would not be streamed on YouTube, but rather through their own platforms.


References

{{Authority control 2020 films Nigerian romantic drama films English-language Nigerian films 2020s English-language films Yoruba-language films Nigerian LGBTQ-related films LGBTQ-related romantic drama films Lesbian-related films Lesbian culture in Africa 2020 LGBTQ-related films