Idris Elba to Direct Nigeria-Set Movie "Dust To Dreams"

Luther and Hijack star Idris Elba has been tapped to direct the short movie "Dust To Dreams".

The movie stars singer Seal, Nollywood stars Nse Ikpe-Etim (Shanty Town), Eku Edewor (Breath Of Life) and Atlanta Bridget Johnson (Man Of God), and former Nigerian Idol contestant Constance Olatunde.

It is a collaboration between Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Films and African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) through its Creative Africa Nexus (Canex).

Set against the backdrop of Lagos, Nigeria, the movie follows the relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter as she meets her father for the first time.

Created by Mo Abudu, and written and directed by Elba, Mo Abudu will serve as both executive producer and producer, with Heidi Uys as supervising producer. Abudu and Uys on the project are producers Temidayo Makanjuola, Inem King, and Vanessa Demme.

Golden Globe winner Elba — a Brit of Sierra Leonean and Ghanaian descent — and Nigerian media mogul Abudu announced last year that they were joining forces to develop emerging talent from Africa and to make a slate of African movies and TV shows.

Elba made his directorial debut on 2018 movie Yardie.

Afreximbank is a pan-African multilateral financial institution created in the early ’90s under the auspices of the African Development Bank.

Abudu commented on the collaboration: “I am delighted to be working with Afreximbank and this incredibly talented team. Dust To Dreams is a story close to my heart, and I’m thrilled to bring it to life with such passionate collaborators.”

Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of Afreximbank, said: “The collaboration with EbonyLife Films is a testament to our commitment to empowering Africa’s creative economy through the Canex Programme. The Bank is committed to supporting Africa’s creative industries through financing, facilitation, providing market access solutions, capacity building and other services”.