Ola Balogun Biography And Filmmaking Career

Ola Balogun is a Nigerian Filmmaker, scriptwriter, and director who was born on August 1, 1945 in Aba, Imo State, Nigeria. He was a unique figure in Nigerian cinema in the 1970s and 1980s, he paved a way for the Nollywood boom that began in the early 1990s.

 Education

Ola Balogun attended his primary education in Aba and his secondary school education at King’s college, Lagos, he then proceeded to The University of Dakar, (1962-1963) Senegal, The University of Caen, France (1963-1966), and The University of Paris – Nanterre pubic university (1966- 1968) in France where he obtained his master and Ph.D. Degree.

Ola Balogun Filmmaking Career

After Ola Balogun completed his education he returned to Nigeria, it was during the time of the Nigeria Civil War, which was a time of crisis, so Nigeria did not have indigenous cinema then. In 1969, he worked as a scriptwriter with Nigeria’s ministry of information before he was posted to France as the press of the Nigerian there, it was there that he published his first film ”Shango.”

He founded Afrocut Foundation, an independent film company in 1973. In 1975, Balogun released his first indigenous Yoruba language film “Ajani Ogun” in Celluloid form.

He also ventured into the music industry in 2001, he worked with Fela Anikulapo during his time in the music industry.

Selected Filmography

Below are some of the lists of movies name featured with Ola Balogun;

• Ija Ominira
• Cry freedom
• Ajani Ogun
• Destination
• Money power
• In the beginning
• Aiyee
• Amadi 
• Vivre
• Alpha

 Awards of Ola Balogun

• Moscow International film festival for Golden prize, Nominee (1981, 1979).
• Nantes Three continents festival (Golden Montgolfiere) Nominee ( 1979).