Dare Olaitan (born November 28, 1990) is a Nigerian filmmaker, producer, writer, and director. His films often explore the economic challenges of Nigeria and their impact on human behavior with a particular focus on the emergence of dark desires.
He is best known for his debut film Ojukokoro(2016)[1][2], a crime-heist comedy that delves into the themes of greed. The film garnered critical acclaim and received two nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). He followed this success with Knockout Blessing (2018), a crime action thriller which was nominated at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2019. Olaitan’s Filmography also includes; Dwindle, Ile Owo, Obara’M and Ègún.
Early life
Dare Olaitan hails from the Yoruba tribe in Osun State, but was born in Lagos. His mother, Remi Olaitan, worked as a pharmacist at HARVARD's PEPFAR program in the United States, while his father, Hon. Oladipo Olaitan is a businessman and who also served as a member of the House of Representative of Nigeria and was a founding member of the Alliance for Democracy political party[3].
Olaitan’s earliest exposure to filmmaking occurred at the age of nine, during a book sale at his school where his mother bought him many books. Notably, the book ‘How Movies are Made’ made a significant impression on him, laying the foundation for his future endeavors in the filmmaking industry.
He studied Economics & Business Management at Illinois Wesleyan University, Illinois for his undergraduate degree. While pursuing his degree, his interest in filmmaking was rekindled, during his final project[4]. The project which focused on the Nigerian film industry as a growing market and its projections in the future, impressed by his exploration of the subject. His professor encouraged him to pursue filmmaking as a professionally, this marked a turning point in the trajectory of his career.
Olaitan initially considered pursuing a Master’s degree in Business after completing his undergraduate degree. However, his renewed interest in filmmaking led him to a career change. He enrolled in the Cinematic Arts Department (formerly known as Colorado Film School)[5] at the Community College of Aurora in Denver, Colorado. During his time there, he produced two short films; “Black and White”, which centers on a married woman who desires to leave her husband, but gets impatient and kills him and “Short Eyes” about a mentally ill prisoner who breaks out of prison and attacks people in the city. In 2007, he started his own production company Singularity Media.
Career
Olaitan’s filmmaking career began during his National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) placement at Audio Visual First in Ikeja, Lagos. Working as an Assistant Director for a year provided him with valuable hands-on experience in the filmmaking industry. He began his directorial career with the production of his debut film Ojukokoro(2016)
This venture proved to be pivotal as “Ojukokoro” garnered nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2018 notably for Best Screenplay and Best Nigerian Film[6]. This dark comedic thriller film revolves around a greedy gas station manager tempted to steal from his employers. During the production of “Ojukokoro”, he crossed paths with esteemed film producer Olufemi Ogunsanwo[7]. Ogunsanwo provided mentorship and industry specific guidance, facilitating Olaitan’s integration into the Nigerian film industry.
Following the success of Ojukokoro(2016), Dare Olaitan continued his filmmaking career. In 2018, he wrote and directed Knockout Blessing, an action thriller explores the story of an ambitious female boxer who finds herself entangled in the world of political corruption. Knockout Blessing (2018) [8] was nominated for Best Nigerian Film and Best Visual Effects at the 2019 Africa Movie Academy Awards [9]. Additionally, the film’s cast received recognition with nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Linda Ejiofor) and Best Supporting Actor (Bucci Franklin) at the same awards event.
After his previous successful movies, Olaitan co-directed the film Dwindle(2021)[10] with Kayode Kasum the film focuses on two men who hijack a car and re-purposing it as a makeshift taxi, and their fate takes a turn when they stumble upon a kipnapped governor. The following year he worked on Kayode’s musical Obara’M(2022)[11], the film follows a young musician who struggles with her past mistakes after the death of her estranged father. The film was nominated for Best Movie West Africa in 2023 at Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards.
In his interview with the Vanguard, he expressed his belief in the untapped potential of horror and psychological thriller genres within the Nollywood industry. Olaitan indicated a desire to explore these genres with the intention of crafting memorable cinematic experiences for audiences[12].
Olaitan’s dive into the horror genre came in 2022 with his realease of Ile Owo[13]. The film, which attracted mixed critical reception centered, on a female nurse that just left a bad relationship seeks a fresh start and her life changes when she encounters a seemingly perfect man, who harbors dark secrets .The film was nominated for Best Picture Editor and Best Overall Movie in 2023 at Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards[14] , the movie was also made available on Netflix in 2023.
In 2023, Dare Olaitan continued expanding his filmography into the horror genre, with the horror-thriller Ègún[15]. The film narrative revolves around an office where a seemingly innocuous has supernatural contents, which forces the employees to fight for survival. In an interview with The Guardian, Olaitan mentions filmmakers Guillermo del Toro and Robert Rodriguez as directors that inspired him because they came from an industry with limited resources, similar to Nollywood and held on to their vision of reaching a more international audience.[16].
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Producer | Director | Writer | |||
2016 | Ojukokoro | Yes | Yes | Yes | Got two nominations at AMAA in 2018 |
2018 | Knockout Blessing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Got two nominations in 2019 at AMAA |
2021 | Dwindle | Yes | Yes | Yes | Starring Actor won an award at AMVCA and
actress was nominated at AMVCA in 2022 |
2022 | Obara'M | Yes | No | No | got nominated at AMVCA in 2023 |
2022 | Ile Owo | Yes | Yes | Yes | got two nominations and actress was nominated at AMVCA 2023 |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Nigerian Film,
Best Screenplay |
Ojukokoro | Nominated | [17] |
2019 | Africa Movie Academy Awards | Best Nigerian Film,
Best Visual Effects |
Knockout Blessing | Nominated | [18] |
2023 | Africa Magic Viewer's Choice | Best Movie West
Africa |
Obara'M | Nominated | [19] |
2023 | Africa Magic Viewer's Choice
Awards |
Best Overall Movie,
Best Picture Editor |
Ile Owo | Nominated | [20] |
References
- ^ ""Ali Nuhu, Afiz Ayetoro, others shine in new Nollywood film Ojukokoro"". www.premiumtimesng.com. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ REinvented, Nollywood (2018-11-14). "Ojukokoro (Greed) | Nigerian & Nollywood Movies". Nollywood Reinvented. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- ^ Wande, S.-Davies (2017-07-09). "How Obasanjo cowed National Assembly as president —Olaitan, ex-AD House Leader". Tribune Online. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Nigeria, Guardian (2019-01-28). "Dare Olaitan Is Here to Take Nollywood by Storm". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ "CFS Transition". Community College of Aurora. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ "AMAA 2018 Nominations List – Africa Movie Academy Awards". 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
- ^ "Olufemi Ogunsanwo | Producer, Director, Writer". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Ugobude, Frank (2019-01-02). ""Knock Out Blessing" is an absolutely entertaining movie". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Nseyen, Nsikak (2019-09-19). "AMAA releases nominees for 2019 awards [FULL LIST]". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Ezema, Patrick (2022-09-10). "Dwindle | Nigerian & Nollywood Movies". Nollywood Reinvented. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Kalu, Esther (2023-06-24). "MOVIE REVIEW: 'Obaram's brilliant musical, cinematographic elements make it a near masterpiece". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ ""I'm pioneering psychological thrillers in African cinemas" – Movie director, Dare Olaitan". Vanguard.
- ^ BellaNaija.com (2022-04-20). "See the First Teaser for Dare Olaitan's Horror Film "Ile Owo (House of Money)"". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Kalu, Esther (2023-04-17). "AMVCA 2023: Anikulapo, Brotherhood, others battle for best movie crown ( Full Nominee List)". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ Oloruntoyin, Faith (2023-11-21). "'Egun' opens with ₦6.1 million at Nigerian Box Office". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Nigeria, Guardian (2019-01-28). "Dare Olaitan Is Here to Take Nollywood by Storm". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
- ^ Nigeria, Guardian (2018-08-04). "See The Full List Of AMAA Nominees". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ Wande, S.-Davies (2019-09-19). "JUST IN: AMAA releases nominations list for 2019". Tribune Online. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ Olufemi, Damilola (2023-04-17). "FULL LIST: 2023 AMVCA nominated actors, movies, writers". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- ^ Nseyen, Nsikak (2023-04-17). "AMVCA releases nominees for 2023 awards [FULL LIST]". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2024-04-01.