Hot SourceAn award-winning writer and director, Toyosi Ige, through his new movie, Heirloom attempts to marry the surreal with the mundane, cross cultural borders and spiritual beliefs, perceptions and stereotypes through action, dialogue and overall spectacle writes Kemi Olaitan
At a time when Nigerians are viewed with suspicion by foreigners all over the world, one Nigerian who has continued to make waves and bring honour to his fatherland is a multi-award-winning screenwriter, director, and playwright, Toyosi Ige.
A holder of Master’s degrees both in Film and Civil Engineering and currently based in the United Kingdom, he has established himself as a driving force in the Nigerian film industry with a unique blend of technical expertise and creative flair.
As a prolific writer and director, Toyosi is driven to spark meaningful conversations about social and national development through the power of visual storytelling with his new movie, Heirloom, a web series set in the United Kingdom but cuts across Nigerian and Caribbean cultures expected to start streaming from Easter Monday this year.
The new movie is a thrilling web series about a man’s unusual discovery of his greater mission while on a mission to save himself. It centres around Edward Akenzua, a Nigerian of high religious/moral standing in the United Kingdom out to break a jinx that has been afflicting his family. However, having been a victim of many misfortunes, he is struggling financially.
Desperate to meet a payment deadline for his family back in Nigeria, he goes against his ethics and enlists the help of an acquaintance, Osahon, a ghostly figure and associate of THE OSIRIS, a relic-smuggling organisation. On his very first mission, Edward becomes suspicious after an unusual encounter with the erratic scientist, Dr. Dzierzykraj Belewsky.
But while trailing the scientist, Edward accidentally runs into pretty Marjorie Collins, a British-Carribean psychic and along the line affection strikes.
The two are then caught up in what looks like love at first sight, except that they may not necessarily be strangers.
At the end of the day, the quest for truth takes Edward on a whirlwind journey into his family’s past and self-discovery.
Speaking on what motivated him to write Heirloom, Toyosi said it was by his observations as a Nigerian immigrant in the United Kingdom who was exposed to interactions with diverse cultures and nationalities.
According to him, “I’m an avid student of history and anthroppology. Having studied the similarities, differences and dynamism in the way we all related with one another, I decided to tell a story that links history with present day realities.”
The casts in the movie according to him are Destiny Osagiede a Nigerian who played the lead role of Edward an international student battling to pay up a debt he owes in Nigeria within 72 hours while on the other hand, Henry, his grandfather, studied in the UK before leaving to fight for Nigeria’s independence in the 1950s.
Others include British actress Christine Hoilett, who played Marjorie, a pretty clairvoyant whose secret power comes from her family heirloom but has a troubled relationship with her mother, Irie, which affects her quality of life.
Marjorie’s grandmother, Faye was a member of the Windrush generation that arrived in the UK from Jamaica in the late 1940s.
On the other hand, Jeffrey Akhidenor, a Nigerian, played the role of Osahon, Edward’s long lost friend and the key to the various adventures/misadventures in the series while the British actor, Tej Brindley played the role of Pete Tsar, a Polish anthropologist who is in search of an ancient fossil that is key to his research and crosses paths with Edward and Osahon in the most auspicious manner.
A cohort member of the Rockup Ready Filmmaking Skills Accelerator Program at Birmingham City University, Toyosi declared that the new movie is a series that will continue beyond episode 10 in subsequent seasons, saying “Heirloom is meant for young and old people, all nationalities and movie buffs while lovers of Nigerian/Carribean history, heritage and culture will love the series.”
With the new movie to be shown on PartyJollof TV YouTube channel from April 21, Toyosi’s impressive portfolio includes short films, feature films, and TV series that have captivated audiences worldwide.
His notable works include “Fading Echoes,” “Oiza’s Nexus,” “My Oga na Tailor,” and more with his films been showcased at prestigious international film festivals, such as the Birmingham Film Festival, Realtime Film Festival, and Abuja International Film Festival.
In terms of award, Toyosi’s short film “Oiza’s Nexus” took home the coveted award for Best Short Film at the Eko International Film Festival in 2022 while his theatrical productions, including “The TRYMO,” “Sham Complex,” “Ajuwaya,” and “Cesay’s Truth,” have also garnered critical acclaim.
A man of many parts, Toyosi worked with the Africa Independent Television (AIT) from 2014 to 2018, and in 2012, he founded Rayhouse Studios, followed by the Rayhouse Academy in 2017. Through this academy, he has mentored over 200 filmmakers, many of whom are now prominent figures in Nollywood.
As he continues to push the boundaries of his craft, inspiring a new generation of filmmakers and storytellers, Toyosi with an unreleased short film about immigration palaver titled, Fading Echoes, has words of advise for upcoming playwrights/filmmakers in Nigeria, saying “they should learn and keep up with global best practices, identify your audience, learn the laws surrounding their art and also learn the business behind the craft.”
