Nigerian Filmmaker, Priye Diri Selected for 2026 Ford Global Fellowship
Nigerian filmmaker, writer, and human rights activist, Diri Diepriye Ibim, popularly known as Priye, has been named to the 2026 cohort of the Ford Global Fellowship.
The Ford Foundation selected Priye alongside 31 other visionary leaders from across the globe, recognising her exceptional work in bridging the worlds of cinema and grassroots advocacy to dismantle systemic inequality.
The Ford Global Fellowship is a 10-year, $50 million catalytic investment aimed at transforming philanthropy’s support for social justice leaders.
“Priye Diri believes that art and creativity are fundamental to structural transformation, and that storytelling can connect empathy with action, enabling us to use our imaginations to reshape cultural narratives and challenge inequality,” the Ford Foundation stated in announcing the 2026 cohort.
Through her camera and voice, Priye bridges empathy and action, transforming cultural stories to foster a more just and equitable society, the statement added.
Her involvement in the 2026 Ford Global Fellowship will offer a powerful international platform to amplify her advocacy, expand her creative initiatives, and showcase Nigerian stories of resilience and justice globally.
With her selection, Priye joins an expanding global network of over 150 fellows who are co-creating action-oriented strategies to disrupt the drivers of inequality in their home regions and worldwide.
Priye’s selection underlines her significant dual role as a renowned filmmaker and committed advocate for SGBV survivors.
As the Programs, Productions, and Advocacy Manager at the Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF), she acts as a 24/7 frontline responder, organising essential legal, medical, and psychosocial support for those affected by SGBV and creating programs around prevention of violence, adolescent health and feminist leadership.
Furthermore, as the co-founder of FEMBUD, a feminist creative collective, she actively works with women and girls to shape their stories, trains media practitioners on how to report on SGBV ethically, ensuring survivors are humanised rather than re-traumatised
On the screen, Priye is celebrated for her dedication to telling authentic, complex stories of women who challenge societal norms. She directed the critically acclaimed 5-part docuseries ‘The Bitter Feminist’, which explores gender inequality and systemic oppression in sub-Saharan Africa.
The series, which premiered at the 2025 iRep International Documentary Film Festival, gained significant attention and was officially nominated at the 2025 Toronto International Women’s Film Festival. Her successful narratives also include the Amazon Prime hit Kill Boro, which debuted at No. 2 in Nigeria, as well as upcoming feature film Remi and Nneoma and notable films such as Rule Number 1 and Chimaera.
Recently, her artistic brilliance and vision made history as the first Nigerian filmmaker selected from over 650 international applicants for the 2024 Film Independent Global Media Makers LA Residency, where she workshopped her upcoming independent feature, Baby Girl.
Priye, a 2025 CSW NY Global Youth Fellow, a 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow and graduate of the renowned Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany, consistently demonstrates that storytelling is a crucial tool not only for entertainment but also for social change.
