Chika Anadu is a Nigerian filmmaker best known for the film '' B for Boy'' (2013). She has also written and produced several short films. Anadu's films are known for tackling issues of gender discrimination and cultural pressures surrounding tradition in Nigeria.

Early life

Chika Anadu was born November 1980 in

Lagos State Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...

, located in the southwestern region of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. When she was 16, she moved to England to continue her education. While there, she did her 'A' Levels, completed her first degree in Law and Criminology, and got an MA in African Studies: Human and Sustainable Development. In an interview with the

New York Film Academy New York Film Academy – School of Film and Acting (NYFA) is a Private college, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit film school and Drama school, acting school based in New York City, Los Angeles metropolitan ar ...

, Anadu states that she loved films throughout her early life, but it was not until 2006 that she thought of being a director as a realistic career for herself. Anadu went back to Nigeria in 2006 to complete her

National Youth Service Corps The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a mandatory, post-tertiary scheme set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime of Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, to "reconstruct, reconcile and rebuild the country after the Nigerian ...

(NYSC) program, a compulsory government work program for Nigerian citizens with university degrees. During her stay, she saw the Italian film ''

Cinema Paradiso ''Cinema Paradiso'' (, , ) is a 1988 Coming-of-age film, coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Set in a small Sicilian town, the film centres on the friendship between a young boy and an aging projectionist ...

'' (1988) and was struck by the desire to become a director.

Career

Anadu moved back to Nigeria in 2008 and began work in TV and Film production. Unsatisfied with her experience, Anadu started writing and shooting her own short films in October and November 2009. Her first short film, ''Epilogue'' (2009), was shown at the 2010 San Diego Black Film Festival in the United States. ''Ava'' (2010) was shown in the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

's Short Film Corner in 2010. In 2010, the New York Film Academy came to Nigeria for the first time, offering month-long workshops in directing, acting, screenwriting, and camera work. Anadu chose to enroll in the screenwriting workshop instead of directing, despite knowing that she wanted to be a director. During this time, Anadu applied to the Cannes

Cinéfondation La ''Cinéfondation'' is a foundation under the aegis of the Cannes Film Festival, created to inspire and support the next generation of international filmmakers. It was created in 1998 by Gilles Jacob. Since then it has developed complementary ...

Residence Program in Paris. The 14-page screenplay treatment that was part of her submission was the basis for what would become her first feature-length film, '' B for Boy'' (2013). Anadu secured one of the six spots and moved to Paris to take part. She wrote the screenplay for '' B for Boy'' (2013) during her two-and-a-half-week stay. Anadu produced the film with her independent company No Blondes Production. The film was shot in 17 days, with Anadu working as director, writer, producer, casting director, location scout, accountant, and lawyer. The film was funded entirely by family money, Anadu's family contributing 70% of the cost, while her producing partner Arie Esiri's family contributed the remaining 30%. ''B for Boy'' (2013) premiered internationally at the

BFI London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival held in London, England, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. Founded in 1957, the festival runs for two weeks every October. In 2016, the BFI estimated that around 240 fe ...

in 2013. It was also shown at the

AFI Fest The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

where it won the AFI Fest 2013 Breakthrough Award with a $5,000 cash prize. The film's South African premiere was held in Durban on July 19, 2014.

Filmography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anadu, Chika Living people 1980 births Nigerian film producers Nigerian screenwriters Nigerian women film directors Filmmakers from Lagos Nigerian film directors Nigerian women film producers Igbo people Nigerian media personalities

Early life

Career

Filmography

See also

References