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Lady

Panorama 2026
© Peter Okosun, Ossian International Limited
In the restless night of Lagos, one of the city’s few female cab drivers, Lady, survives by staying tough and focused. She dreams of escape, saving her earnings for a new life far from the chaos of this Nigerian metropolis. But when her long-lost childhood friend, Pinky – now a sex worker – returns with a burst of colour and trouble, Lady is pulled reluctantly into her orbit. Soon, she is driving a crew of glamorous, reckless, fun-loving women through the underbelly of Lagos nightlife. What begins as judgement develops into unexpected sisterhood: wild, tender and disarming. As Lady becomes entangled in their world, the nights grow more dangerous, and the city presses harder against old wounds that she has never confronted. Forced to face the trauma she has long outrun, Lady cracks open – learning to feel, to belong, to see herself through new eyes. When everything reaches breaking point, Lady must make a choice that will change her life’s direction forever. In that choice lies a new kind of freedom: one rooted not in escape, but in transformation.
by Olive Nwosu (Director, Screenplay)
with Jessica Gabriel's Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemisey, Agu Ghineye Esthyraph, Precious Agu Eke, Fadesaye Olateru-Olabegi, Eva Ibiam, Seun Kuti, Bucci Franklin United Kingdom 2026 English, Nigerian Pidgin 93' Colour European premiere | Debut film

With

  • Jessica Gabriel's Ujah (Lady)
  • Amanda Oruh (Pinky)
  • Tinuade Jemisey (Sugar)
  • Agu Ghineye Esthyraph (Fanta)
  • Precious Agu Eke (Lolo)
  • Fadesaye Olateru-Olabegi (Lekpa)
  • Eva Ibiam (Cinderella)
  • Seun Kuti (DJ Revolution)
  • Bucci Franklin (Fine Boy)

Crew

Director Olive Nwosu
Screenplay Olive Nwosu
Cinematography Alana Mejia Gonzalez
Editing Colin Monie
Music Ollie Mayo
Sound Design Dillon Bennett
Production Design Richard Evans
Costumes Patience Ezeogo
Make-Up Amarachi Joan Akalazu
Casting Sukanmi Sukki
Producers Alex Pulonin, John Giwa-Amu, Stella Nwimo
Co-Producers Tokunboh Sangodoyin, Jamiu Shoyode

Produced by

Ossian International

Glasgow, United Kingdom

World Sales

HanWay Films

London, United Kingdom

Photos

Olive Nwosu

The filmmaker was born in Lagos, Nigeria and studied film at Columbia University School of the Arts. She now lives in London and Lagos. She crafts image-rich, emotionally resonant films that interrogate the ways we belong, resist and transform. Her short film Troublemaker was the first Igbo-language film to be screened on the highly regarded Criterion Channel. Masquerade premiered in Toronto, screened at the Sundance Film Festival and won multiple international awards.

Filmography

2019 Troublemaker; short film 2021 Egungun (Masquerade); short film 2026 Lady; Berlinale 2026

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026