In Lagos, where the rhythm of culture meets the pulse of ambition, Olori Atuwatse stepped onto the stage of the Africa Film & Finance Forum (AFFF) and delivered a keynote that was nothing short of transformative. With poise and conviction, she cast a vision of a creative Africa that no longer asks for permission but claims its rightful place on the global stage.
“I was honoured to deliver the keynote address at the Africa Film & Finance Forum in Lagos,” she began, her words carrying the weight of both history and possibility. “Whoever shapes the story shapes perception, and whoever shapes perception shapes the world.”
Olori Atuwatse
Olori Atuwatse
Olori Atuwatse
For too long, she reminded the audience, Africa’s stories have been framed by outsiders. But the time to reclaim, redefine, and reimagine has arrived—not through rhetoric but through strategy, policy, and investment. Film, she argued, is not just art but infrastructure: capable of generating jobs, revenue, tourism, diplomacy, and dignity.
Drawing on her work with Elevate Africa, Olori Atuwatse painted a bold picture of narrative transformation—building bridges between investors, policymakers, and creators to amplify Africa’s creative power. “Narrative is capital,” she declared. “When it changes, everything else changes with it.”
Olori Atuwatse
Olori Atuwatse
Olori Atuwatse
Olori Atuwatse
Olori Atuwatse
Olori Atuwatse
Her address was also a tribute, filled with gratitude to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, actress and director Stephanie Linus, and the board of AFFF for their relentless commitment to building a $20B African film economy.
Her remarks are a call to action, a manifesto of dignity and pride. In that moment, Olori Atuwatse embodied it.
