James Omokwe

James Omokwe fell in love with movies in 1998 and, since then, harbored a desire to understand its inner workings with a view to making his own movie someday. Born in the UK on the 3rd of February 1984, he holds a B.A in creative arts obtained at the University of Lagos where he shot several short films in his spare time. Ultimately, James went on to study at New York Film Academy (NYFA) and acquired a diploma in Film Directing. Initially an actor cast in Tope Idowu's Shallow waters, Franca Browns' 'Serpent in Paradise' and playing the role of 'Chris Okereke' in MNET's soap opera, Tinsel, he garnered some experience that informs his current directing career. He also worked under the publicity and special projects department at Del-York International, a media consulting firm and it was at this point he made a decision to set out on his own. His journey has been swift, moving from acting to working behind a desk and then to film directing. Not long after completing his NYFA directing course in 2010, he started his own company called Studio84 Connect International and, in 2011, directed his first feature length film, Awakening. His creative use of simple, gritty footage amidst a clever premise established Omokwe as a fresh talent with a distinct vision, and this was further emphasized by Awakening's 2013 AMAA nomination and "Best film category at the Amvca's. The movie which was released to the box office in 2013, started a buzz and made its' way through the country via television and radio interviews, the social media and print. Originally from Arochukwu, Abia state, he now lives in Lagos, Nigeria with his family while developing his next feature film.