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
Beyond Olympic Glory
After a doping scandal ruined her Olympic dream in Paris, Nigerian boxer Cynthia Ogunsemilore fights to reclaim her future, battling the brutal world of professional boxing as an African woman and the uncertainty behind her suspension, while training for a successful comeback at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Lost Times
Femi was just 13 when he left for Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital and Africa’s biggest megalopolis, just 70 kilometers away from his native Benin Republic. Like millions of local migrants, Femi was chasing a dream & thought he would make a fortune but seven years later, he’s trapped in a cycle of labor and poverty, and must choose between going back home to reclaim his stolen youth or staying to protect his younger brother from the same fate.
Beyond the Horizon
In Nigeria, where the healthcare system is held together by sheer willpower, a group of seven friends in their final years at the University of Benin Medical school 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.
No Way Home
Since 2020, over 200 Nigerians leave their country every day, fleeing a deepening economic and security crisis. But this mass exodus is only the latest chapter in a long history of migration. Through the waves of departures that have shaped the fate of this "poor rich oil giant," the film explores the deeper reasons behind exile, its impact on development, and the personal dilemma faced by each generation: to leave or to stay “home”?
Watch Trailer
These films are currently in the pre-development phase and looking for production, collaboration and 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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