From Filmmaker to Tech Builder: Michael Osheku Targets Nigeria’s Film Distribution Gap
For filmmaker Michael Osheku, technology is becoming a tool for tackling some of the problems he encountered while building a career in Nigeria’s creative industry.
His focus is on challenges that have long confronted filmmakers, particularly getting productions discovered, finding audiences and creating pathways into international markets.
Osheku’s interest in the intersection of technology and filmmaking developed through his own experiences in production and film festivals.
Born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and originally from Fugar in Edo State, he began his academic journey studying Pharmacy at the University of Lagos before switching his focus to writing and storytelling.
He later trained at the PEFTI Film Academy and produced his first documentary, Survival of Avhianwu, in 2011.
The process of seeking festival opportunities for the documentary exposed him to the importance of film festivals in connecting filmmakers with audiences and creating opportunities for their work.
He went on to produce projects including Girl Child and Salama. Salama screened at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and the In-Short Film Festival, while The Couple Next Door, on which he served as executive producer, also gained exposure at international festivals.
From smartphones to film festivals
In 2016, Osheku founded Oshmil House Company, a media and creative organisation involved in film production and talent development.
One of its initiatives encouraged young filmmakers to use smartphones as production tools, creating opportunities for people who could not afford conventional filmmaking equipment.
But making films with accessible technology presented another question: how could these productions find their audiences?
That challenge contributed to the creation of the African SmartFilm International Film Festival (ASIFF) in 2017.
The festival created a platform for filmmakers working with mobile devices and gave Osheku greater exposure to emerging approaches to visual storytelling.
His involvement in the festival circuit subsequently expanded beyond ASIFF.
In 2023, he served as an African Film Programmer for Festival Filmaê in Brazil and participated as a speaker and judge in programmes organised by the Mobile Innovation Network and Association (MINA) in Australia.
He was also a jury member at the Manitoba African Film Festival in Canada in 2025.
Building beyond filmmaking
Osheku’s festival experience also led to another initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He co-founded the International Migration and Environmental Film Festival (IMEFF), which held its inaugural edition virtually in 2021. The festival featured films exploring migration, environmental concerns and related human experiences.
He later studied Arts Management at Centennial College in Canada, graduating with honours in 2024.
His career has since increasingly moved towards developing technology for the creative economy.
Osheku is the founder and Creative Director of Canada-based Upheepa Media Inc. He has also developed Filmdows Entertainment, a venture focused on film distribution, positioning and access to markets.
Other projects associated with his current technology-focused work include Filmdows, Seedoni and Culturensia, which remain under development.
For Osheku, technology is not a departure from filmmaking but an extension of his experience within the industry.
After years of producing films, participating in festivals and observing the difficulties creatives face in reaching audiences, he is now exploring digital solutions that could make distribution and market access more practical for filmmakers.
His broader objective is to use technology to bridge the gap between African creative content and the audiences and markets capable of discovering it.
