October 1 (film)

October 1
The main character in the foreground of the left side, with minor characters in smaller proportion to his side, and an old church under dark skies at the right.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKunle Afolayan
Written byTunde Babalola
Produced byKunle Afolayan
Starring
CinematographyYinka Edward
Edited byMike-Steve Adeleye
Music byKulanen Ikyo
Production
company
Golden Effects
Distributed by
  • Golden Effects
  • FilmOne
Release dates
  • 28 September 2014 (2014-09-28) (Lagos)
  • 3 October 2014 (2014-10-03)
Running time
145 minutes
CountryNigeria
Languages
  • English
  • Yoruba
  • Igbo
  • Hausa
BudgetUS$2 million
Box office₦100 million

October 1 is a 2014 Nigerian thriller film written by Tunde Babalola, produced and directed by Kunle Afolayan, and starring Sadiq Daba, Kayode Olaiya, and Demola Adedoyin. The film is set in the last months of Colonial Nigeria in 1960. It recounts the fictional story of Danladi Waziri (Daba), a police officer from Northern Nigeria, investigating a series of killings of young women in the remote Western Nigeria village of Akote just before 1 October 1960 – the date Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule.

October 1 was produced with a budget of US$2 million (₦315 million in 2013) in Lagos, Ilara-Mokin, Akure, and villages neighbouring Akure, using period costumes and props, from August to September 2013. The film premiered on 28 September 2014 and opened to international audiences on 3 October. The film earned just over ₦100 million (US$610,000 in 2014) within six months of its release; Afolayan blamed film piracy for the film's low earnings.

October 1 deals with several themes, including the sexual abuse of children by religious authority figures, religious and ethnic conflict, politics in Colonial Nigeria, and Nigeria's unification and independence. Critics reviewed the film positively, praising its cinematography, production design and costuming, writing, and acting. The film also won several awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor at the 2014 Africa International Film Festival.