“Londoner,” a film written and directed by Babatunde Apalowo, won the Red Sea Film Fund Award for Best Fiction Feature, receiving a $5,000 cash prize at the Durban FilmMart.
The autobiographical film centers on Ayo, a Nigerian bank manager who travels to London to join his family, only to find his wife emotionally involved with another man and seeking a divorce.
The Durban FilmMart Institute, which hosted the event, is a non-profit organization that promotes local and international trade and investment in African film content.
Apalowo, a Nigerian film director and screenwriter based in the UK, has previously directed works such as “A Place for Happiness,” “Catcher,” “The Millions,” and “Death for Sale.” In 2023, he won the Teddy Award at the Berlin Film Festival for his queer romance “All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White.”
Produced by Pamela Drameh and Sarudzayi Marufu, “Londoner” reflects Apalowo’s personal experiences of feeling lonely and disconnected after moving to the UK.
The 15th edition of the Durban FilmMart, held in South Africa from July 19 to July 22, showcased notable film projects from across the continent.
Other award winners included Sean Drummond and Sheetal Magan, who won The Known Inner Circle Award with a $10,000 prize for the South African film “Acts of Man.”
