When Omotola Jalade Ekeinde said she would not dance online to promote her new film, many dismissed it as celebrity talk. Two things are now clear. She meant it, and she can afford to mean it.
Omotola is not a newcomer fighting for attention. She has worked steadily since the mid-1990s, building one of the most expansive careers in Nigerian screen history, with credits that reportedly run into hundreds of titles. Her early breakout, Mortal Inheritance, helped cement her status and brought major recognition at a time when Nollywood’s star system was still forming.
Over the years, her profile has grown beyond local acclaim. She has collected awards in Nigeria and abroad, and her public standing has been strengthened by institutional recognition. In 2013, Time listed her among its 100 Most Influential People. In 2014, Nigeria honoured her with the MFR. She has also received an honorary doctorate for her contributions to arts and society. Taken together, these milestones frame her as a cultural figure who operates with long-term intent, not short-term noise.
That context matters because Mother’s Love is not being positioned as a typical commercial release. It is her directorial debut, and its subject matter signals ambition. The film centres on the bond between mothers and daughters, then stretches into heavier terrain, grief, resilience, identity, and the social divides that shape choices and relationships. Although grounded in Nigerian realities, its emotional language is universal. It is designed to spark conversation, not just quick applause.
The first major signal came from its festival pathway. The film had its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2025. That is not simply a prestige stamp. TIFF is also a serious marketplace where distributors, sales agents, and buyers scout films for acquisition and licensing. A premiere at that level places a project inside the global industry pipeline early, even before a wide local run is settled.
More recently, the film was officially selected for the Pan African Film Festival 2026 edition. This adds another layer of visibility in the United States, and strengthens access to diaspora audiences and decision-makers tracking the growing demand for African cinema.
These selections underline a reality that is often lost in public commentary. Film festivals are not only cultural events. They are business platforms. Each screening can improve a film’s credibility, expand its press footprint, and open doors for territory sales, distribution conversations, and long-tail licensing. Every official selection builds leverage, and leverage is what converts attention into deals.
Seen through that lens, Omotola’s refusal to “dance” stops looking like stubbornness and starts looking like strategy. Trend-driven promotion can be useful, but it is rarely the centre of a global rollout. If the objective is international distribution and sustained market presence, the playbook changes. You prioritise positioning, partnerships, and curated access. You choose where the film is seen, who sees it, and what conversations it enters first.
Omotola’s career has been built over decades, and this release reflects the same thinking. With “Mother’s Love,” she is not only presenting a film. She is placing herself in a global filmmaker category, with a market that can extend beyond Nigeria into North America and Europe, where African stories are attracting stronger buyer interest and wider audiences. In that context, silence on trends is not a risk. It is part of the message.
15 February 2026
