Kunle Afolayan | |
|---|---|
 Afolayan at the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards | |
| Born | 30 September 1975[1] Ebute Metta, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Alma mater | New York Film Academy |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1999-Present |
| Known for | Saworoide, Agogo Ewo, Phone Swap, 1 October |
| Spouse |
Tolu Afolayan
(m. 2007; div. 2019) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent | Adeyemi Josiah Afolayan (Ade Love - father) |
| Relatives | Moji Afolayan (sister) Gabriel Afolayan (brother) Aremu Afolayan (brother) Anu Afolayan (brother) |
Kunle Afolayan () (born 30 September, 1975) is a Nigerian actor, producer, and director.[2] He is credited for elevating the quality of Nollywood movies through larger budgets, shooting on 35mm, releasing in cinemas, and improving cliché Nollywood storylines.[3] After starting his film career as an actor in the 1999 political drama Saworoide, Afolayan made his directorial debut in 2006 with Irapada, a Nigerian supernatural thriller, which won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Film in an African Language.[4] His subsequent directing credits include The Figurine,[5] Phone Swap, October 1, and Citation.[6]
October 1 was the winner of 16 major African movie awards in 2015 and was the second highest grossing Nigerian film at the time of its release, a feat Afolayan was to repeat two years later with The CEO. In 2021, the director signed a three-picture deal with Netflix.[7] Swallow, the screen adaption of Sefi Atta's book by the same name was the first to be released in October 2021, followed by Aníkúlápó, an epic Nigerian fantasy released in September 2022. Afolayan has described the work as a "Game of Thrones recreated in Nigeria but with a better representation of our culture”.[8] Eleven days after its release, it was the #1 most-watched non-English Netflix original film.[9]
- ^ "Its Kunle Afolayan's birthday". The Nation. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ^ "Kunle Afolayan set to release 'ROTI'". Vanguard News. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- ^ "Out of Africa: Kunle Afolayan bids to bring Nollywood cinema to the world". the Guardian. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ "He is Kunle Afolayan". blog.mipad.org. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ nyfa. "NYFA Graduate's Film Sweeps African Academy Awards". NYFA. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ Europe, Canon. "Kunle Afolayan on filming Citation". Canon Europe. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ Grater, Tom (10 March 2021). "Netflix Partners With Nigerian Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan On 3 Features". Deadline. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ BellaNaija.com (2 August 2022). "Kunle Afolayan's Film "Anikulapo" is Coming to Netflix on September 30!". BellaNaija. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ YNaija; YNaija (12 October 2022). "Aníkúlápó ranks No.1 globally on Netflix". YNaija. Retrieved 19 November 2022.