Kayode Kasum: Collaborating with Young, Old Filmmakers Impacted My Career

Filmmaker/director, Kayode Kasum won the 2025 Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards Trailblazer Award for his remarkable contributions and innovative approach in the industry. However, the award, which mostly had been given to emerging filmmakers, seems to have sparked some sort of conversation this year. Kasum speaks to Ferdinand  Ekechukwu on the recognition, why he felt it raised questions and more. Excerpts:

Congratulations on winning the 2025 AMVCA Trailblazer Award. Where were you on that night as you missed receiving the award personally and taking the shine on the continental stage? 

I was somewhere in Enugu working on a project. I tried to make it to the event but I could not. I missed my flight. But thank God I won.

How does it feel to win the 2025 AMVCA Trailblazer Award?

I feel on top of the world. It’s a big stage, you know. When I started making films I remember one day I was working overnight during the AMVCA when they were showing it on TV and I was working at Wale Adenuga Productions and I watched it, that was the year Tope Tedela won Best Actor (2014) and I kind of told myself that one day I wish that I’m going to win an AMVCA award. I’m happy to see that dream come through. It’s a big deal, I thank God. I’m elated, I’m happy for the recognition, and I respect everything Africa Magic has been doing over the years. To be mentioned on that stage was a blessing.

The award seems to have sparked some curiosity, interest this year following your recognition as the Trailblazer.  Some have argued that why you? Unlike previous winners who had just one or two credits to their names. What do you think?

I think if you look at what the AMVCA is doing, the award has also been given to up and coming young filmmakers. So people kind of look at it and say Kayode is not up and coming. But it’s also recognition; I feel its recognition for all the years of hard work. So, I also think there was a speech Gloria Young (award presenter) was saying on stage where she was mentioning the type of things my team and I had done in terms of different styles of filmmaking, different styles of marketing our films to audiences. I would say that we have created a new niche in filmmaking, and I guess that was what Africa Magic was trying to recognise.

So far in total now how long have you been in the industry for like say, ten years, or say how many?

No, it’s not up to ten, since 2018, so it’s not up to ten. Like seven years… I never old like that abeg o!

But you have made a remarkable impact with the number of film credits as a filmmaker/director that one looking at it would think you have stayed that long in the industry…

Yes, now I understand why people are saying I don’t deserve the AMVCA.

Do you envision any impact the Trailblazer award would have on your career?

I’m hoping that it would be a good impact (laughing), I’m hoping that it should be great. I’m staying hopeful and just being thankful. It’s not something I was expecting. But really I’m thankful to God for the recognition.

Can you talk about your journey as a filmmaker/director?

My journey started with, I guess, trying to make a film Dognapped which was like my first feature film with the legendary Julius Agwu and I learnt a lot from making the film. After that, I went on to make other films like Oga Bolaji, which was a film I wanted for it to travel festivals and it did. Then I would go on to make Sugar Rush which would be my introduction to Nigerian cinema. And ever since then, I have done a lot of collaborations with different production companies. I would say one thing that helped my journey was not collecting money upfront, not been paid for my services, but collaborating to make films along with producers. That helped put me on the map. And that made me understand the business of filmmaking which has helped me to continue to make films till today. My journey has also evolved working with different actors from different age groups I have worked with the legends, the young, the up and coming and I have got to experience Nollywood up, close and personal.

You just talked about your journey, what ignited your interest in filmmaking?

So for me I have like a very close relationship with film. Like when I was young just based off the way I was raised, just based off my family dynamics at the time film was something very personal to me. So I used to run to film for escape. And I like it, I liked the medium. I like how it used to take me away from reality. And I wanted to do that for a lot of people too. So I feel like that made me respect the art form, and that’s what I have been doing ever since I guess. Then I had a lot of interest in it, I did not believe I could be a filmmaker because at a time in Nigeria, film was not something you could go and learn. So one day somebody just mentioned, and I found out that there was a film school in Lagos, PEFTI Film Institute, and that’s where it all started.