Showing up for Nollywood at Content London
At Content London 2024, the world’s top television development marketplace and conference, Anakle Films made an appearance, adding voice to the world of African Film and Storytelling.
However, it wasn’t just about showing up; it was about showing the world what African storytelling looks like when we lead it.
For Content London 2024, Anakle Films pulled up with our dream team: Founder Editi Effiong, co-founder Mimi Bartels, and GM Ashley Opusunju. We weren’t alone; over 3,000 content big shots were in the mix for three days of panels, screenings, networking sprints, and the occasional “did that just happen?” moment.
We had one mission (and about a million coffee chats): making sure African stories don’t just show up globally, they headline.
Held at the iconic Kings Place venue, Content London 2024 brings together storytellers, platforms, and studios. It’s a space where new stories are pitched, partnerships are built, and creative ideas push boundaries.
For Anakle Films, the event offered us a chance to connect directly with studio heads and platform executives, while promoting our core mission: telling African stories on a global stage.
Editi Effiong and The Black Book’s Global Mission
Editi, writer/director/producer of The Black Book, the Netflix hit, came to Content London 2024 with a clear message: African stories deserve global stages, solid budgets, and full creative respect.
In a past interview with Akoroko.com, Editi said,
“We do not need to attach Hollywood directors to African stories to make sure our stories travel. We have the capacity to do that here. And we have done it.”
Editi used his time at the conference to reinforce this vision. He highlighted the local-to-global production model behind The Black Book, an example of how independent African filmmakers can produce films locally for a global audience. He came with a mission and left with a few minds blown!
African Storytelling & Nollywood Influence
The bold women of the trio, Mimi and Ashley, also joined Editi at the event. Mimi, co-founder of Anakle Films is one of Nollywood’s most influential voices. Ashley powers the growth at Anakle Films as General Manager. Their combined years of experience have helped shape a distinctive production culture, one that champions authentic African storytelling, nurtures local talent, and bridges Nollywood with global audiences.At Content London 2024, the team attended industry panels, screenings, and speed-networking sessions. These included a keynote by Meta’s Louise Holmes, who shared insights into the growing power of creators in the content economy. Another standout session explored the rise of FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV), showing how platforms are moving beyond library content and investing in original shows. There’s never been a better time to be bold and brilliant in content.
Africa’s Voice in a Global Content Future
NBCUniversal’s EVP of Unscripted, Corie Henson, captured the bold energy of the conference with her challenge to creatives:
“Bring me your holy sh** ideas,” she said.
One of the most anticipated sessions at Content London explored the cutting-edge advancements in generative AI. The session highlighted how leading companies across industries are leveraging these tools to boost efficiency and reshape creative workflows.
We got to chat with Frank Spotnitz, Creator, Writer and EP of X-Files, and Man in the High Castle and his Head of Development, Adrian Banyard of Big Light Productions. We talked shop, life, film and opportunities for future collaborations.
Other exciting conversations touched on immersive sports content and the evolution of Gen Z storytelling on platforms like Snapchat. These themes resonate strongly with Anakle Films, which remains committed to fusing technology, cultural insight, and African storytelling in compelling and forward-thinking ways.
Although we attended as participants, the team’s presence felt like that of future leaders. We weren’t just there to observe—we were helping shape the narrative about what comes next for global content creation. You could say we came, we saw, and we quietly stole the show.
As the event wrapped, one thing was clear: in a world hungry for new voices, Anakle Films is not waiting for permission. We are forging our own path—one African story at a time.