Freedom Way, AMVCA 2025 Best Movie and Writing Winner, Lands in Nigerian Cinemas July 18

Nigerians will finally have the opportunity to watch the highly praised film Freedom Way when it opens in cinemas nationwide on July 18, 2025. The movie, which won Best Movie and Best Writing at the 2025 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), is coming to local screens after making waves at international film festivals.

Directed by Afolabi Olalekan in his debut feature, Freedom Way tells the story of two young tech entrepreneurs in Lagos, Themba and Tayo, who create a motorcycle-hailing app to help okada riders find economic opportunities. But their dreams clash with the harsh realities of Nigeria’s policing system, government regulations, and deep-rooted corruption.

The star-studded cast includes Jesse Suntele, Ogranya Jable Osai, Debo ‘Mr. Macaroni’ Adedayo, Femi Jacobs, Mike Afolarin, Bimbo Akintola, Akin Lewis, Meg Otanwa, Teniola Aladese, and Tiwalola Adebola-Walter. Audiences will see not just an entrepreneurial journey, but the moral conflicts faced by a police officer, a dedicated doctor, and everyday Nigerians trying to survive within a broken system.

The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and has since screened at major festivals, including AFRIFF, where it received a Special Jury Prize, the Red Sea Film Festival, the Philadelphia Film Festival, and the New York African Film Festival, where it was the opening film.

Director Afolabi Olalekan drew from his painful encounter with police harassment to shape the story’s emotional core. Before Freedom Way, he directed music videos for Ayra Starr.

The film’s screenplay was written by Blessing Uzzi, who also produced it under her Bluhouse Studios banner. Originally conceived as a short film titled The Report, Uzzi expanded the narrative to tackle deeper societal issues, inspired by Nigeria’s “Treat now, ask questions later” campaign.

With Genesis Pictures handling distribution, Freedom Way marks Bluhouse Studios’ first cinema release, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated Nigerian films of the year.

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Chinalurumogu Eze

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