Afolabi Olalekan's 'Freedom Way' to screen at 2024 Toronto International Film Festival

Freedom Way, an upcoming drama directed by Afolabi Olalekan, has been announced as part of the Discovery Programme lineup at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

According to TIFF, the Discovery Programme “will uncover hidden cinematic gems from around the globe.” The organisers added that the programme will premiere “debut and sophomore films from emerging filmmakers, showcasing the best of contemporary international cinema.”

The screening of Freedom Way at the festival, scheduled to run from September 5 to September 15, 2024, will also mark the film's world premiere.

The film follows the lives of three young co-founders of a startup, a motorcyclist, a doctor and a police pair as they navigate the struggles of their professional life in contemporary Nigeria. It tackles the issue of police brutality and harassment which has long been flagrant in Nigeria.

The cast includes Adebowale Adebayo, Jable Ogranya, Jesse Suntele, Mike Afolarin, Femi Jacobs and Bimbo Akintola. Freedom Way is written and produced by Blessing Uzzi.

Olalekan, who himself has been a victim of police harassment in Nigeria, said his experience propelled him to make the film.

“The Nigerian Police Force is notorious for harassing and extorting young Nigerians for how they are dressed and groomed or for the gadgets in their possession, profiling them as criminals and fraudsters, sometimes even going as far as holding them in jails, until they are able to prove themselves innocent of the crimes they’ve been charged with despite zero evidence linking them to the allegations,” he said in a statement. “I have been a victim of such harassments and arrests and my experience partly inspired the story of Freedom Way.”

While reacting to the film's TIFF selection, the director exclusively told Pulse Nigeria, "Everyone who worked on the film was committed to making an excellent film and we just can’t wait to celebrate all the hard work with the audience at TIFF.

"The festival has over the years proven to be a supporter and a platform for the arts and filmmakers and we are glad that we get to be part of that."

Olalekan has also worked as a director on other Nollywood productions including the short films Without You and Caught Up. He rose to fame for directing visuals for musicians including Rema, Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage.

Freedom Way is his debut feature film.