“Freedom Way,” a drama directed by Afolabi Olalekan, has been included in the Discovery Programme lineup at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Running from September 5 to 15, TIFF’s Discovery Programme aims to “uncover hidden cinematic gems from around the globe” by premiering debut and sophomore films from emerging filmmakers.
“Freedom Way” will have its world premiere at the festival. The film explores the lives of three young co-founders of a startup, a motorcyclist, a doctor, and a police pair, as they navigate their professional struggles in contemporary Nigeria.
It addresses the issue of police brutality and harassment, which is prevalent in Nigeria. The cast includes Adebowale Adebayo, Jable Ogranya, Jesse Suntele, Mike Afolarin, Femi Jacobs, and Bimbo Akintola, with Blessing Uzzi serving as the writer and producer.
Inspired by his own experiences with police harassment, Olalekan hopes the film will shed light on the injustices faced by young Nigerians.
He expressed excitement about the film’s selection at TIFF, emphasizing the hard work and commitment of everyone involved in the project.
His words:
“The Nigerian Police Force is notorious for harassing and extorting young Nigerians for how they are dressed and groomed or for the gadgets in their possession, profiling them as criminals and fraudsters, sometimes even going as far as holding them in jails, until they are able to prove themselves innocent of the crimes they’ve been charged with despite zero evidence linking them to the allegations,”
“I have been a victim of such harassments and arrests and my experience partly inspired the story of Freedom Way.
“I am excited about the selection. Everyone who worked on the film was committed to making an excellent film and we just can’t wait to celebrate all the hard work with the audience at TIFF. The festival has over the years proven to be a supporter and a platform for the arts and filmmakers and we are glad that we get to be part of that,”
