At CBC Television’s Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, filmmakers Omoni Oboli and Patricia Bebia unveiled NicaPro, a groundbreaking cross-continental film venture set to connect the creative worlds of Nollywood and Canada’s screen industry. The launch also introduced the Future Reel Network, a not-for-profit platform focused on training, mentorship, and collaboration for women filmmakers across both countries.
Oboli, one of Nollywood’s well-known directors and producers, continues to expand her global footprint. Her film ‘Okafor’s Law’ premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and her recent digital hit ‘Love in Every Word’ has surpassed 28 million views on YouTube, becoming one of Nollywood’s most-watched titles online.
Bebia, a celebrated Canadian filmmaker and media executive, is best known for her award-winning feature ‘The Life Coach’. As President of Diamond Plus Media and Executive Vice President of Afroglobal Television, Canada’s largest Black-owned media network, she has built a career amplifying diverse voices and bridging cultures through storytelling.
Together, Oboli and Bebia are launching NicaPro, a production company that will produce six feature films over the next three years. The slate will merge African storytelling with Canadian craftsmanship to tell stories that resonate globally. “Stories deserve the world, and the world deserves our stories,” Bebia said, describing NicaPro as a bridge between Nollywood and Canada “where creativity meets excellence.”
Alongside NicaPro, the Future Reel Network aims to address gender disparity in film by creating tangible opportunities for women to learn, collaborate, and lead. “Through the Future Reel Network, we’re creating access,” Oboli said. “Talent is universal, but opportunity isn’t.”
Industry figures have hailed the collaboration as a visionary step for both countries. Joan Jenkinson, Executive Director of the Black Screen Office, called NicaPro “a strategy for connection and shared storytelling,” while The Honourable Dr Jean Augustine praised it for “strengthening cultural ties and driving opportunity on a global scale”.
Veteran filmmaker Jennifer Holness described the partnership as “a transformative moment for the global screen industry.” Ambassador Dr Queen Blessing Ebigieson, President of the Association of Movie Producers, Nigeria, added that it represents “a powerful step toward a Nigeria–Canada co-production treaty that will expand markets and deepen creative ties.”
The launch of NicaPro and the Future Reel Network marks a new era in international collaboration and women’s leadership in film, a partnership that reaffirms storytelling as one of the world’s strongest cultural bridges.
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