If creativity had a North Star, Ella Chikezie would be it. A filmmaker, storyteller, and low-key creative whisperer, Ella is that one friend whose insight turns your wildest, messiest idea into a full-blown cinematic vision. We’ve been rocking for years, and trust me, when I need clarity on a script or want to pressure-test an idea, Ella is on speed dial.
What makes her special? She doesn’t just give feedback, she gives fuel. During one of our infamous late-night script talks, Ella casually dropped a note that unlocked flashbacks for me forever. How to use it in your script without losing your audience or deviating from the plot, thank you Ella! A legend.
From Nollywood blockbusters to streamer gems, Ella’s fingerprints are all over some of the most impactful screen moments. She’s not just behind the camera, she’s shaping culture.
I first featured her during lockdown in my newsletters. But let’s do a “Where Are They Now?” glow-up check-in, before revisiting the 2020 kpandemic original spotlight that started it all.
It’s been 5 years since the initial spotlight feature, can you believe it?! What would you say has changed for you significantly over the years?
Yes it has, wow I can’t believe it. Feels like yesterday. For me, a lot has changed but I would particularly like to talk about my growth as an individual and my career growth.
5 years ago, I was working a job I didn’t particularly like because of the conditions that we faced as creatives but I decided to officially start making films and since then I’ve worked with some of the brightest stars, directors, and producers, and made some of the biggest films on Netflix (Tokunbo) and Prime (Christmas in Lagos), even made a cinema feature film (Choke) as a producer. Now most recently too, I wrote and directed my first movie which was a Tricom Productions grant winner and is titled, In Her Shoes. A short film that follows the life of a 12 year old autistic girl from a northern family. The film addresses autism and gender based violence and has received festival selections in Europe and South Africa. Since deciding to make films and tell impact stories, I feel a great sense of fulfillment.
Beyond filmmaking too, I’ve been able to successfully manage a career as a Programme Officer at the Creative African Nexus (CANEX) for the past three years. Helping to push the CANEX vision to support and promote the growth of the creative and cultural industries in Africa and the diaspora as well.
The growth in my life has been great too. I’ve been able to experience personal growth and see my leadership skills take a new level. Even my perspective on life has been more positive. I’m able to create time for myself and the people I care about. Which wasn’t something I had when I worked a 9-5 at a physical office.
I am in awe of the growth but because I know, no be say my readers go know, but I will alert them. I love what some would say, a new found confidence, but ‘us’ IYKYK can say that it’s always been there, what’s made you confident out loud without having to hide the power of who you are and your art?
(Smiles) Thank you. The truth is confidence is believing in yourself and before anyone can ever truly believe in you, you have to believe in yourself. When I resigned my job as a lead copywriter and production manager at Orange vfx over 4 years ago and decided to become a full time filmmaker and start my own production company (FlyGrade Media), I did so without any doubt that I would succeed. Not because I had production jobs waiting for me or any job at all, I did so because I was confident that I had God Almighty, my talents, determination, and a plan.
Being bold about who you are and what you want will make you stand out. Because a lot of people are so afraid to live their truth or even take a chance on themselves. So, yes I get scared sometimes at my dreams but they say if your dreams doesn’t scare you then you haven’t started dreaming. Understanding that life is too short to be living someone else’s life or dreams instead of making yours happen was what prompted me to keep going and keep staying true to myself and my art.
Confidence comes with success, as you keep believing in yourself and making efforts, other people see you believe in yourself and they naturally believe in you. Now, when you try and succeed, it boosts your confidence. Not saying I haven’t failed at anything yet, but it’s the determination to keep going against the failures, rejections, and against all odds that have made me come far.
Storytelling has changed a lot since we spoke, what do you think storytelling is doing for our social culture and is there hope for a significant impact say in the next year or two?
Indeed storytelling has evolved over the years. It is being used as a tool to amplify voices and to reflect or expose societal truths. Thankfully with the use of social media storytelling platforms like X, threads, IG, and TikTok, YouTube, stories are now readily available and accessible. We’re witnessing a shift where people are not just telling stories for entertainment they’re using them to reclaim identity, challenge systems, and reshape how communities see themselves and each other. In our social culture, storytelling is doing the heavy lifting of helping people feel issues they would otherwise only intellectualize. It’s building empathy. It’s softening hardened views. And sometimes, it’s the only space where nuance can live. There’s also a new kind of boldness especially among African storytellers to speak truths that were once considered too risky. Take for example during the End Sars Protest, the whole thing stared from a tweet and then became a powerful movement that changed everything. More stories are coming from the margins and being centered. That in itself is cultural shift.
As for the next year or two? Yes, I believe there’s real hope. With the right support structures, funding, access, education, platforms, policies, storytelling can do more than just create impact. It can become part of how we heal, reimagine, and even restructure society. And I think we’re already seeing that slow but necessary motion beginning.
Original Spotlight Feature | October 2020
Let’s take a moment to appreciate Ella’s journey and growth. + More BTS from ‘Christmas In Lagos’ below.
How would you describe yourself?
As a storyteller, I am very observant of my environment and the things going on
in our society. Over the years, I have read, experienced, and witnessed lots of
stories about injustice, domestic violence, rape, and other sensitive issues, so I
felt the need to lend my voice to these causes. I mean, what better way to do so
if not through my talents? I believe that if I ever want to make a difference, then I
must do so by telling stories that are authentic, unusual, and relatable. For me,
highlighting and addressing social issues through storytelling is my own way of
bringing social change and I am all for change in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at
large.
What inspired your passion for writing and filmmaking?
As kids my parents encouraged us to read. My dad used to keep a library so we
were surrounded by a lot of books and stories. He had this old collection of
William Shakespeare’s works and the first time I read that book, I was only 7.
Although I couldn’t fully grasp the words in the book as they were written in
Elizabethan English, my dad however, used to read these stories and other
native stories to us. That was how I developed interest in storytelling and writing.
I was fascinated by these books and I wanted to write my own stories too. I
wanted to tell stories of things I had seen, experienced, imagined, and even
heard others encounter too. As I read more books, I developed more interest and
when I was in JSS 2 I wrote my first novel. It was called “The cuckoo-cuckoo
clock of doom”, it was a teen based adventurous story on time-travel. I showed
our English teacher the book and he commended me for writing the story. Then,
as a science student in SS1, I used to run away from Agricultural science classes
to Literature class and I became quite popular in Literature class because I was
always answering questions and contributing in class. In fact, there was a day
our Literature teacher asked me to teach my colleagues and she was surprised
when the students shouted that I wasn’t even an arts student. Later on, in
University, I sent a Facebook fan message to Michelle Dede one day, and she
surprisingly responded to the message. In her reply, she stated that God had blessed me with a writing gift and encouraged me to keep writing. That was the
first time anyone ever told me that, and it stuck with me for a long time. As for
filmmaking, just like I learnt to read books, I also watched a lot of TV whilst
growing up and I developed interest in filmmaking from there. The first
screenwriting class I ever attended was with Victor Sanchez Aghaowa, and
Michelle had sent me the poster to apply for a chance to get into the masterclass.
With little or no experience in screenwriting, I applied and luckily got selected into
the training program and after that experience, my interest in filmmaking
increased exponentially.
Your short films highlight social issues that are not always talked about, what fueled you to tell these
stories?
As a storyteller, I am very observant of my environment and the things going on
in our society. Over the years, I have read, experienced, and witnessed lots of
stories about injustice, domestic violence, rape, and other sensitive issues, so I
felt the need to lend my voice to these causes. I mean, what better way to do so
if not through my talents? I believe that if I ever want to make a difference, then I
must do so by telling stories that are authentic, unusual, and relatable. For me,
highlighting and addressing social issues through storytelling is my own way of
bringing social change and I am all for change in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at
large.
Do you think opportunities are easy to find as a creative?
These days a lot of opportunities are opening up in the creative industry, it’s a
question of how informed and prepared you are for them.
What are some of the obstacles you have encountered as a creative?
I have encountered several obstacles in writing and film production, the common
one being the writer’s block and dealing with sound issues while on set. While
working on my short film, “Anywhere but Home”, one of the major challenges I
encountered was with sound. Also, I’ve been on a set, where we had to pack up
and leave because the area boys refused to let us film even after paying the
demanded fee. So yeah, these challenges comes with the terrain. Personally too,
I have battled with imposter syndrome in the past.
When you are not writing or making films, what other passions keep you busy?
I mostly spend time advocating for and volunteering for Mental Health, Rape,
Social Justice, Autism, Women and Children’s Rights, and any other notable
cause.
Where are some of your creative spots in Lagos?
Anyone who knows me knows I have sweet tooth. So, anywhere that looks like
an ice-cream & confectionary shop or coffee shop are usually my preferred
creative spot.
Name two creatives that you’d like to collaborate with and why?
Internationally, I would love to collaborate with Shonda Rhimes, because she’s a
brilliant storyteller and TV Writer/Producer, also her movies always empowers
black women and largely represents diverse groups from Black Americans, Caucasians, Africans, Mexicans, Asians, Straight, LGBTQ+, you name it and since I’m all for women empowerment and social equality, a collaboration with Shondaland is my ideal collaboration. In Nigeria, I would like to collaborate with
Kenneth Gyang because of his unusual approach to filmmaking and how his
films addresses various social issues in Nigeria.
What’s your favorite quote that has inspired you as a creative?
My favorite quote is “You are never too old to learn something new or try
something different.” This is one quote that has kept me going. My mentor, says
it all the time and that’s where I picked it from.
