Colour Me True Arrives on Prime Video December 4th, Marking a Milestone for Nigeria’s First Features Project.

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

What happens when the life you’ve built no longer matches the truth of who you are?

That question sits at the heart of Colour Me True, the latest feature from Natives Filmworks and MichelAngelo Productions, set to premiere on Prime Video on December 4th, 2024. The film’s official trailer is released today, offering the first look at a story that explores identity, authenticity, and the quiet courage it takes to face ourselves when our masks can no longer hold.

Colour Me True follows Sylvia Philips, a celebrated reality television star whose carefully constructed world begins to crumble when her true identity is exposed. Seeking refuge, she returns to the orphanage where her story began, a place she spent years trying to forget. Within its walls, she encounters faces and memories that force her to confront the person she used to be and decide which version of herself can survive.

The film stars Shalewa Ashafa in the lead role, delivering what may be her most emotionally demanding performance to date. She is joined by an ensemble cast including Bucci Franklin, Eseosa Bernard, Nnamdi Agbo, and Gerard Adebija.

Colour Me True marks a significant milestone as the tenth title in the First Features Project, a landmark initiative dedicated to discovering and empowering emerging Nigerian filmmakers through mentorship and production support.

“We started the First Features Project because we believed Nigeria had stories and storytellers that deserved a platform. Ten films later, that belief has only grown stronger. Toluwani’s voice is exactly what this project was built to nurture,” says Dotun Olakunri, Executive Producer.

Steve Gukas, Producer and executive producer, adds, “What drew us to Colour Me True was its emotional honesty. This is a story about the masks we wear and the cost of living behind them. Toluwani has crafted something deeply personal, and Shalewa’s performance brings it to life in ways that will stay with audiences.”

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Toluwani Obayan Osibe, the award-winning screenwriter behind This Lady Called Life, the Netflix hit that resonated with audiences across Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

“I wrote this story during a season of deep personal reflection,” says Obayan Osibe. “Part of what brought me there was a lack of honesty, first with myself and then with the world around me. Writing this story became one of the ways I began to process what facing that truth might feel like.”

With cinematography by Gideon Chukwu, a stirring score from Ava Momoh, and production design that captures both the polished glare of celebrity Lagos and the unvarnished warmth of a childhood home, Colour Me True is a film crafted with intention and told with heart.