Portal:African cinema/Selected biography/3

Funke Akindele (b. August 24, 1977) is a Nigerian filmmaker, actress, director and producer who holds the distinction of helming the top three highest-grossing Nigerian films: Omo Ghetto:The Saga (2020), Battle on Buka Street (2022) and A Tribe Called Judah (2023), the only Nigerian film to have crossed the billion naira mark.  

Akindele made her acting debut in the TV series, I Need to Know  (1998-2002) and shot to fame with her role in the comedy-drama film Jenifa (2008) which earned her her first Africa Movie Academy Award (AMVCA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The  film’s popularity spawned a sequel (2011) as well as a  spin-off TV series (2014) Jenifa’s Diary.

In 2019 she made her feature film directorial debut with the political satire, Your Excellency.  Sixteen years after her first AMVCA win, Akindele remains the most nominated actress/filmmaker at the AMVCA, and with six awards, is the actress with the most wins. 

In 2022 Akindele announced she was suspending her film career to be the running mate to Olajide Adediran, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the governorship of Lagos. The Adediran-Akindele ticket lost in the May 2023 elections to the incumbent. Seven months later, Akindele made Nollywood history with A Tribe Called Judah.