A STREAMING WEEKEND WITH BOLANLE AUSTIN

Bolanle Austen-Peters is more than a filmmaker, stage director, or cultural hub owner. She is a cultural entrepreneur who transitioned from a brief legal career to following her passion for the arts. As the founder of Terra Kulture, a leading cultural and arts hub in Lagos, she has been instrumental in promoting Nigerian heritage, language, and artistic expression through pioneering contributions to stage productions and movies, earning her recognition as a transformative figure in African theatre and beyond.

Before becoming a household name in the arts, particularly through her revolutionary contributions to Nigerian theatre and film, she was deeply immersed in cultural commerce trading artefacts in the United Kingdom. Although she pursued a career in law, as was expected given her father’s successful legal career, Austen-Peters had set her sights on the arts, where she envisioned a career as a cultural interpreter rather than a litigator. Her passion and determination led to the founding of Terra Kulture in 2003, a cultural hub that would eventually become a beacon for Nigerian languages, arts, and culture.

She nurtured Terra Kulture for a decade before expanding her creative vision to stage theatre. Her foray into theatre brought forth captivating musical dance dramas like Saro the Musical, Waka the Musical, Fela, and the Kalakuta Queens, garnering international acclaim, including tours across the United Kingdom. This pioneering work earned her recognition from CNN, dubbing her the "woman pioneering theatre in Nigeria," as well as numerous formal accolades.

But Cultural Hubs, Stage theatre, or Dance Dramas, wasn’t sufficient as a fulfilling career for Austen Peters, who has been rated and featured as one of Africa’s most influential women. Audio-visual storytelling seems to be the next logical step.

She made her first mark in film as a co-producer of 93 Days, an emotional biopic directed by Steve Gukas that received rave reviews and screened at prestigious global festivals, including TIFF. In 2019, she fully transitioned into filmmaking, debuting as a producer and director with The Bling Lagosians. The film, featuring an impressive cast including Osas Ighodaro and Nollywood veteran Jide Kosoko, earned two AMVCA nominations in 2020.

Her impact in Nollywood deepened with the satirical films Collision Course (2021) and Man of God (2022). These works reflected her refined ability to interpret scripts, a skill honed from her years in stage direction. Collision Course won the AMVCA’s 2022 Best (West Africa) Movie award, while Man of God earned three nominations and secured the award for Best Actress in a Drama, Movie, or TV Series in 2023.

The momentum of these successes paved the way for her next ambitious projects: Olufunmilayo Ransome Kuti and House of Ga’a. The former, a biopic about a legendary activist, earned two major wins at the 12th Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) for Best Screenplay and Best Overall Feature Film, while House of Ga’a achieved international success, charting in the Top 10 on Netflix’s Global Chart for Non-English films within its first week of release.

Through her visionary work in theatre and film and the recent acquisition of a film village, Austen-Peters, who has also acquired a film village, continues to break new ground, enriching African storytelling on a global stage and cementing her status as one of the continent's most influential cultural figures.

Screennolly invites you to enjoy a Streaming Weekend with this dynamic Nollywood Woman King and accomplished Lady of Theatre.

- Jimi D Baldheaded Guy

The Man of God Netflix