Nigerian filmmaker, Funke Akindele has expressed gratitude to The Hollywood Reporter for listing her among the 46 ‘Most Influential Women In International Film’. The actress said that being listed among such visionary women is a call to keep building.
She wrote; “I’m deeply honoured and truly grateful to be featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s ‘The Most Influential Women in International Film’. To be recognized among 46 powerful, visionary women from around the world is more than a moment of celebration—it’s a call to keep building, creating boldly and lifting others as we rise.”
The publication described Akindele, the founder of the Funke Akindele Network as one who does pretty much everything. It notes that her 2024 Nigerian box office smash, ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’, the third film in the hit comedy franchise, was yet another showcase for her all-in creative approach.
“Her production outfit, Funke Akindele Network (FAAN), champions homegrown Nigerian stories and control over how they’re told… And judging by her string of local blockbusters, audiences love how she tells it,” it states.
Also on the list is Nigeria’s Mo Abudu, the CEO of EbonyLife Media. Describing her as a longtime perennial on its international power lists, the publication notes that Abudu isn’t just a media mogul — she’s a movement.
“The British-Nigerian founder of EbonyLife Media has produced everything from local box office hits (The Wedding Party, Òlòtūré) to global deals with Netflix and Sony.
“In 2024, she launched the $50 million Afro Film Fund and announced EbonyLife Place London, a cultural hub set to open by year’s end,” it states.