Orimogunje’s ‘Dear Ajayi’ selected for Venice Film Festival competition
Nigerian filmmaker Damilola Orimogunje’s second feature film, ‘Dear Ajayi’, has been selected for the Giornate degli Autori competition at the 2026 Venice Film Festival.
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival is taking place in Venice, Italy.
The selection was announced on the official Giornate degli Autori website, which lists the film among the competition programme titles.
Mr Orimogunje also shared the film’s Venice selection on Instagram, where he has been providing updates on the film and its festival journey.
The film was scheduled for a public screening at the festival on Thursday, followed by a question-and-answer session with members of the filmmaking team. According to the film’s official festival synopsis, the story explores family, faith, ambition and the choices women make within a changing social environment.
The plot follows estranged sisters Ade and Titi Ajayi as they confront family tensions while caring for their ailing mother in 1990s southwestern Nigeria.
Ade, a devout Christian and family breadwinner, is contrasted with Titi, an aspiring singer whose independent outlook challenges established expectations.
The film’s cast includes Bimbo Akintola, Tosin Adeyemi, Lanre Hassan, William Benson, Antar Laniyan, Uzoamaka Power, Michelle Dede and Chioma Omeruah, popularly known as Chigul.
‘Dear Ajayi’ is a Nigeria-Germany production directed and written by Mr Orimogunje, and was scheduled for release in Nigerian cinemas on November 13.
Its selection places a Nigerian family drama within one of the major independent sections of the Venice Film Festival. It also highlights growing international interest in stories rooted in the country’s social and cultural experiences.
Mr Orimogunje previously directed ‘For Maria Ebun Pataki’ and served as a producer on ‘All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White’, which won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival.
(NAN)
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