Damilola Orimogunje’s Dear Ajayi has made history as the first Nigerian production selected for the Giornate degli Autori competition at the Venice International Film Festival.
The 1990s drama will have its world premiere at the 23rd Giornate degli Autori, also known as Venice Days. The event will take place during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival from September 2 to 12, 2026.
What ‘Dear Ajayi’ is about
Written, directed and produced by Orimogunje, Dear Ajayi is set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s.
The film follows two estranged sisters, Ade and Titi Ajayi. The sisters are forced to reunite when they return home to care for their paralysed mother.
Their reunion brings old wounds back to the surface. They must confront grief, faith, ambitions and love. They also have to find a way to rebuild their relationship.
Star-studded cast
Dear Ajayi features a multi-generational cast of Nigerian actors.
The cast includes Bimbo Akintola, Uzoamaka Power, Antar Laniyan, Tosin Adeyemi, Michelle Dede, Lanre Hassan Adesina, William Benson, Chioma Omeruah, Tope Tedela and Baaj Adebule.
The Venice selection is another major milestone in Orimogunje’s career. His 2020 debut feature, For Maria Ebun Pataki, received six African Movie Academy Award nominations.
He also worked as a producer on Babatunde Apalowo’s All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White. The film was a hit at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Orimogunje celebrates Venice selection
Reacting to the selection, Orimogunje expressed his excitement after years of developing the project.
“Thrilled to share that Dear Ajayi has been selected to World Premiere in Competition at the 23rd Giornate degli Autori, at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. This film has been years in the making, a journey shaped by so many extraordinary people who believed in it and gave so much of themselves to bring it to life.”
He also thanked those who contributed to the project.
“I’m deeply grateful to the selection committee, our remarkable cast, crew, producers, partners, supporters, and everyone who has walked this journey with us. This moment belongs to all of you. I can’t wait for audiences in Venice and around the world to experience Dear Ajayi.”
“See you in Venice,” he concluded.
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