Africa Through the Lens of Her Storytellers
StoryMi Academy is an independent creative initiative based in Nigeria. We equip early-career journalists, filmmakers, photographers, and podcasters with the tools and training to tell bold, nuanced African stories—and to share them with the world.
Since 2021, we’ve trained over 50 storytellers and produced 10+ short documentaries that explore health, migration, culture, and identity across Nigeria. With support from the French Embassy in Nigeria, our documentary program is free for participants and offers in-depth mentorship, funding, and international exposure.
The StoryMi Documentary Fellowship is a 6-month program designed for emerging Nigerian documentary filmmakers working on socially relevant short films.
Each year, 4–6 fellows are selected to receive:
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One-on-one mentorship with award-winning filmmakers
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Production bursaries for their films
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In-person and virtual workshops on storytelling, production, and pitching
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Access to international industry events (e.g. FIPADOC, Sunny Side of the Doc, etc.)
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Networking with co-producers, broadcasters, and film funds
The goal: To develop locally rooted, globally resonant documentaries.
Films in Development
After a doping scandal ruined her Olympic dream, Nigerian boxer Cynthia Ogunsemilore fights to reclaim her future, battling the brutal world of professional boxing, a fallout with her management, and the uncertainty behind her suspension, all while training for a comeback at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
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When an old house beside hers is demolished, a filmmaker questions what is being lost to Lagos Island’s constant change. Through the life of Femi, a migrant from Benin Republic, she investigates a city built on slave money, still fueled by labor, erasure, and the question: should one endure it, or escape it?
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In a country where the healthcare system is held together by sheer willpower, seven medical students in their final years at the University of Benin, Nigeria are forced to make life-altering decisions; stay and fight at the front line of their country’s health systems, chase their passions outside medicine, or seek a better life abroad.
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Two generations, one exodus. As Nigeria’s brightest continue to flee for greener pastures, No Way Home: The Genesis of the Exodus follows two men who left their country 40 years apart, and a woman who has returned and chose to stay—challenging the idea that home is simply a place, rather than a choice.
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Want to support or collaborate with our filmmakers?
Interested in future cohorts or distribution partnerships?
Meet the Filmmakers
Who they are. What they're doing. Where they're at.
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Meet the Mentors
Ike Nnaebue is a celebrated Nigerian film director, screenwriter, and producer. His latest film, "No U-Turn," received a Special Mention Award at the Berlin International Festival - Berlinale 2022. As the founder and CEO of Love Portion Creativehubs, Ike is dedicated to building a network of creative hubs across Africa and globally, creating safe spaces for African creatives to thrive. Additionally, he leads Passion8 Communications Ltd, a premium media content production company based in Lagos, Nigeria. Ike is widely regarded as one of the champions of the emerging new African cinema.
Louise Monlau is a successful documentary filmmaker and experienced photographer based in Paris, France. With a rich background in print and multimedia journalism, she has worked with some of the most prestigious French newspapers. Louise directed her first short film, "The Death Cleaner," in 2020, which was selected for the Emmy Awards in 2021 and the AFI Festival. Her second short film, "Rocio and Me," explores the relationship between a mother and her daughter with Down syndrome. In 2022, she directed "Nigeria’s Dancer for Change," commissioned by Al Jazeera.
Chika Oduah is a multidisciplinary and multimedia storyteller. Founder and Executive Director of Zikora Media & Arts, she has her been featured in The New York Times, Voice of America, The Guardian, The BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, The Associated Press, UK Channel 4, France 24, National Geographic, National Public Radio, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, Foreign Policy, The Daily Beast, MSNBC, VICE News and other outlets. Through her art, she captures diverse stories about the joys, hopes, triumphs and challenges of people across Africa and in the African diaspora.
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