Desmond Ovbiagele

Desmond Ovbiagele
Born	Lagos, Nigeria
Alma mater	University of Lagos Imperial College, London
Occupations	Director screenwriter film producer
Years active	2011–present
Known for	Render to Caesar The Milkmaid
Awards	See below
Website	desmondovbiagele.com

Desmond Ovbiagele is a Nigerian film director, ^{[1] [2]} screenwriter, and producer ^[3] known for films with social and political themes. A former investment banker with Citigroup and Standard Chartered, Ovbiagele transitioned from finance to filmmaking.

His debut feature film, Render to Caesar (2014), became Nigeria's first locally-produced film selected for official competition at the FESPACO Film Festival in Burkina Faso. ^{[4] [5] [6]} His sophomore feature in 2020, The Milkmaid, a drama inspired by the insurgency in northeastern Nigeria, garnered widespread international acclaim. ^{[7] [8] [9]} It was selected as Nigeria's official entry amongst the list of submissions to the 93rd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film — the country's first ever successful Oscar entry in the category. It also went on to win five African Movie Academy Awards from eight nominations, including Best Film, Best Film in an African Language and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Award for Best Nigerian Film. ^{[10] [11]} He also won Best Director ^[12] at the 2021 Best of Nollywood Awards, and has been recognized by the United Nations and the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles. ^[13]

Filmography

• Render to Caesar - 2014
• The Milkmaid - 2020

References

1. "Interview: From Investment Banking to Nollywood, Desmond Ovbiagele Goes For Broke | OkayAfrica". www.okayafrica.com. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
2. ShockNG (17 August 2022). "Desmond Ovbiagele On The Making of An Oscar Worthy Picture "The Milkmaid"". ShockNG. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
3. Nwafor (4 December 2020). "How I came about the story of 'The Milkmaid' - Desmond Ovbiagele". Vanguard News. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
4. "Ovbiagele, Desmond | African Film Festival, Inc" . Retrieved 31 May 2025.
5. Orioha, Lucky (12 February 2015). "Render to Ceaser puts Nollywood on FESPACO 2015's A-List". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
6. Aliyu, Moshood (24 February 2015). "With Render to Ceaser, Nollywood dreams big at FESPACO". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
7. Olanrewaju, Adenike (22 March 2021). "In the Shadow of Nollywood, Filmmakers Examine Boko Haram". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 31 May 2025.
8. "Detained and beaten: Why crew risked their lives to make film about insurgency victims in Nigeria". Sky News. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
9. Dore, Shalini (3 March 2021). "Nigeria's 'Milkmaid' Inspired by Kidnapping of Chibok Schoolgirls". Variety. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
10. "AMAA 2020: 'The Milkmaid' wins big, see full list of winners | Pulse Nigeria". www.pulse.ng. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
11. "AMAA 2020 Winners List - Africa Movie Academy Awards". 26 September 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
12. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/entertainment/nollywood/500777-bon-awards-2021-rattlesnake-the-milkmaid-win-big.html?tztc=1
13. https://www.paff.org/awards/archives/