“Femi Odugbemi’s vision and expertise are highly remarkable. His creative insights and industry acumen set him apart as a true luminary in the world of entertainment and media. His leadership will undoubtedly elevate the judging process and inspire creativity within the region and beyond. We look forward to an exceptional year under his guidance.”
ACCLAIMED storyteller, filmmaker and content producer, Femi Odugbemi, has been unveiled as president of “2024 Pitcher Awards Entertainment Jury”. The awards ceremony will feature as part of the Pitcher Festival of Creativity, holding May 16-18.
With the appointment as head of such a prestigious award project, Odugbemi is recognised for his “outstanding contributions to the entertainment industry and his unwavering commitment to fostering creativity,” stated the announcement of the appointment. The statement describes him as “a multifaceted creative force, renowned for his work as a writer, filmmaker, and television producer.”
Now in its 7th edition, the Pitcher Awards is described as “one of Africa’s most valuable and internationally respected accolades. Every year the jury, made up of experts from across the region, come together to review and benchmark creativity expressed across Africa through various media including print, film, audio, outdoor, PR, Entertainment, and Digital, as well as creativity that has been specifically deployed for the good of mankind. Entries into Pitcher Awards are open to all work created, released or implemented anywhere on the African continent. This means that even projects created outside of Africa but designed specifically for implementation or release in Africa are eligible to enter.”
With the theme, “Creativity for a Connected Africa”, the 2024 Pitcher Awards, says the organisers, “promise to be a celebration of brilliance, innovation, and the power of creativity.”
Chairman of Pitcher Festival, Dr. Nnamdi Ndu, congratulating Odugbemi on the appointment, said: “Femi Odugbemi’s vision and expertise are highly remarkable. His creative insights and industry acumen set him apart as a true luminary in the world of entertainment and media. His leadership will undoubtedly elevate the judging process and inspire creativity within the region and beyond. We look forward to an exceptional year under his guidance.”
The announcement reads further, “As the Founder and CEO of Zuri24 Media, a content production company based in Lagos, Odugbemi has consistently pushed boundaries and elevated storytelling in the African media landscape.
“His impressive credentials include being a voting member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmys). Odugbemi’s unique distinction lies in his election to both the Film and TV international academies — a testament to his exceptional talent and influence.
“Odugbemi has brought to life some of sub-Saharan Africa’s most successful television drama series. Notably, he was the founding content producer of TINSEL, Nigeria’s groundbreaking studio multi-camera daily series. With over 3,500 episodes and counting, TINSEL remains one of the longest-running soap operas in the country. His portfolio extends to other acclaimed drama series, feature films and documentaries.
Speaking about his appointment, Femi Odugbemi stated: “I am thrilled to return as the Entertainment Jury President for the 2024 Pitcher Festival of Creativity Awards. It is a privilege to witness the incredible talent and innovation showcased by creators in the entertainment industry. I eagerly anticipate experiencing the diverse and inspiring works submitted this year and celebrating the creativity and ingenuity of our industry.”
******
PROFILE
A RENOWNED writer, filmmaker, television Producer and Founder/CEO of Zuri24 Media, a content production company in Lagos, Odugbemi has written and produced many critically acclaimed documentary titles including ‘Oui Voodoo’ (2005), ‘Ibadan: Cradle of Literati’ (2006); ‘Metamorphosis’ (2006), ‘Oriki’ (2008), ‘Bariga Boy’ (2009); ‘And the Chain was Not’ (2010) ‘Fagunwa: Literature, Language and Literalism’(2013) ‘Makoko: Futures Afloat’, (2016) and the recent ‘Unmasked: Leadership, Trust and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria’ (2021). He has brought to screen some of sub-Saharan Africa’s most successful television drama series. He was founding content producer of Tinsel in 2008. The soap opera was Nigeria’s first studio multi-camera daily series and, one of the longest-running ever with over 0ver 3,500 episodes and counting. He also produced the popular telenovela ‘Battleground’. Other popular drama series produced by Odugbemi include the crime series ‘Brethren,’ the migration story “Movement: Japa.’ and his more recent work the political drama series “Covenant.” He has also produced and directed feature films including Maroko (2006), Gidi Blues (2016), 4th Estate (2017) and Code Wilo (2018), and The Man Died (2024).
Jury Works: A former President of the Independent Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN), Board member of the Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA) and a Fellow of Theatre Arts of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) Odugbemi is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) and also a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmys). He is one of the few distinguished filmmakers in the continent who is elected to both the Film and TV international academies. He has also served as a 7-time Head Judge of the prestigious Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA), and 4-times Head Jury of the Uganda Film Festival, Juror of the Johannesburg International Film Festival South Africa, and a Juror/Mentor of the NETFLIX/UNESCO African Folktales Reimagined project.
Awards: In November 2013 Femi was honoured with the Excellence Award of the Society of the Performing Arts of Nigeria (SPAN). In 2018 he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award of the Nigeria Film Corporation and in 2023 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the LAIF Awards by the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria(AAAN).
Industry Services: Mentorship: Deeply passionate about impacting the younger generation of African storytellers, Femi was the pioneer Academy Director of the Multichoice Talent Factory in West Africa (2018-2022). He currently facilitates trainings and film courses for NYU Abu Dhabi and Pan-Atlantic University Lagos.
Festival: In 2010, Odugbemi co-founded the iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival. It has attracted many global filmmakers and films to his home city Lagos. Screenings are held in several inner city suburbs and at the famous Freedom Park, a colonial prison converted to an art exhibition and performance space. The Festival has pursued with vigour its theme of “Africa in self-conversation” championing films and stories from Africa, about Africa and by Africans.
