Babatunde Apalowo’s film “Londoner” has been awarded the Red Sea Film Fund Award for Best Fiction Feature at the Durban FilmMart, along with a cash prize of $5,000. This recognition comes as part of the 15th edition of the Durban FilmMart, held in South Africa from July 19 to July 22, which showcased a variety of notable film projects from across the continent.
“Londoner,” an autobiographical film, tells the story of Ayo, a Nigerian bank manager who travels to London to join his family, only to discover that his wife is emotionally involved with another man and seeks a divorce. Produced by Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu, the film reflects Apalowo’s personal experiences of adjusting to life in the UK and grappling with feelings of isolation and displacement.
Apalowo, a Nigerian film director and screenwriter based in the United Kingdom, has an impressive portfolio that includes “A Place for Happiness,” “Catcher,” “The Millions,” and “Death for Sale.” In 2023, he won the Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival for his queer romance “All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White.”
The Durban FilmMart Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering local and international trade and investment in African film content, praised the diverse and impactful projects featured this year. In addition to Apalowo’s success, other winners included Sean Drummond and Sheetal Magan, who received The Known Inner Circle Award and a $10,000 cash prize for their South African film “Acts of Man.”
Reflecting on his move to the UK, Apalowo shared with Variety, “Nigeria is a place where personal space does not exist. In London, the opposite was the case. I realized I could die on the road and people would just drive on by. For the first time in my life, I felt lonely.” This poignant experience is at the heart of “Londoner,” his second feature film.