Here Is Everything To Know About Award Winning Director, Kemi Adetiba
Kemi Adetiba is an award-winning videographer, TV host, presenter filmmaker, and director who has paved a way for herself in the media and entertainment industry both at home and abroad.
She would forever go down in history as the director behind the brilliance and success of the two most revered Nollywood movies – “The Wedding Party ” and “King of Boys’.
In honour of her birthday, we have compiled a comprehensive profile of her.
Early Life
Kemi was born in Lagos on the 8th of January 1980 to Dele and Mayen Adetiba.
Her father is a veteran in the media world while her mother is a civil engineer.
Mayen was an actress and journalist before venturing into engineering. She was also the first female president of the Association of Consulting Engineering (ACEN).
Kemi has a law degree from the University of Lagos.
Career
Kemi Adetiba started her journey into the media as a young child precisely in primary 5 where she appeared on two national television commercials for the iconic detergent brand OMO, following the footsteps of her father, Dele Adetiba, a veteran in the advertising and broadcast industry who played a pivotal role in the development in Nigeria.
Professionally, she began as a radio presenter with Rhythm 93.7 FM, where she became the voice behind two nationally proclaimed hit shows: ‘Soul’d Out and Sunday at the Seaside.‘
Kemi Adetiba started to make a transition from being a voice on radio to being a face on television by producing and presenting several shows on Mnet, which includes Studio 53, Temptation Nigeria where she presented alongside Ik Osakioduwa.
She was also a presenter on Soundcity TV and hosted Maltina Dance All for three consecutive seasons.
Adetiba enrolled in the New York Film Academy to learn the ropes about being behind the cameras and today, her bodies of work as a director are spread across the African continent and beyond its borders.
She even created a short film titled “Across a Blooded Ocean” during her study at the Academy. The film was screened at the 2009 Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles and National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta.
She directed her first feature film in 2016,‘The Wedding Party’ which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) the same year. The Wedding Party broke box office records worldwide by raking in over ₦3.5 billion.
She followed it with the blockbuster and award-winning ‘King of Boys’ in 2018 which was written, co-produced and directed by her. King of Boys is currently showing on Netflix.
Adetiba is the producer of popular web documentary series; King Women that seeks to inspire and mentor young women.
Awards and nominations
Some of the awards for her works include Best Female Video for the song “Ekundayo” by TY Bello at the Soundcity TV Music Video Awards, Best Female Video for the song “Today na Today” by Omawumi at the 2010 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
Adetiba’s works include music video direction of Waje’s “Onye” which features Tiwa Savage, Olamide’s “Anifowose”, “Sitting on the Throne” and Bez’s R&B single “Say”.
Kemi was nominated for Best Music Video Director of the Year at The Headies 2014. She won the Creative Artist of the Year award at African Diaspora Awards in 2014. She also won the City People Entertainment Award for Best Music Video Director Of The Year (2015).
Her film ‘King of Boys’ has won several awards such as Prix Du Public (People’s Choice Awards) at the NollywoodWeek Festival in Paris in May 2019. It also won Best Nigerian film at the AMAA Awards in 2019.
It also won ‘Best African Film’ at the New Vision International Film Festival (NVIFF) Awards in December 2019.
Adetiba was listed on Pulse’s list of top 10 Movie Directors of the Decade (2010-2019).
A list of her works as a videographer
- 2017: King Women 2015: “Last Bus-stop” by Niyola
- 2015: “Dance Go (Eau de Vie)” for Hennessy Artistry ’15 {feat. Wizkid and 2face Idibia}2015: “Out A Magazine” by Lindsey
- 2014:”My Darlin” by Tiwa Savage
- 2014:”My Place” by Lynxxx
- 2014:”Love to Love You” by Niyola (featuring Banky W.)
- 2014:”Sitting on the Throne” by Olamide
- 2014:”Anifowose” by Olamide
- 2014:”Onye” by Waje
- 2013:”Toh Bad” by Niyola
- 2013:”Say” by Bez
- 2012:”If I Die” by Da Grin
- 2012:”Tease Me/Bad Guys” by Wizkid
- 2011:”I Believe” by Ego
- 2011:”Follow You Go” by Banky W.
- 2011:”The Future” by TY Bello
- 2010:”Fall in Love” by Ego
- 2010:”Lagos Party” by Banky W.
- 2010:”More You” by Banky W.
- 2011:”Today Na Today” by Omawumi
- 2008:”Ekundayo” by TY Bello
Legacy she aims to give
She has asserted that her greatest motivation is to leave a legacy behind and NOT fail those that believe in her and her work.
Marital life
Kemi caught many by surprise when got engaged to the love of her life, Oscar Heman-Ackah, a Ghanian music and advertising executive on the 28th of January, 2022 while she was on vacation in Ghana.
The pair officially got married officially on April 23, 2022 in a star-studded wedding in Lagos.
Adetiba previously had said numerous times that a woman’s worth should not be judged by marriage.
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