<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[www.damidawson.com]]></title><description><![CDATA[Cinematic Insights, Engaging Conversations]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/all</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:52:00 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.damidawson.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Return of Arinzo: A Sequel That Came Back… Without Its Soul]]></title><description><![CDATA[Thirteen years after Arinzo (2013), The Return of Arinzo arrives with the weight of nostalgia and the promise of a deeper, more evolved story. Directed and produced by Iyabo Ojo, the film attempts to resurrect a notorious figure and expand her story into a broader narrative of revenge, secrets, and consequence. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/the-return-of-arinzo-a-sequel-that-came-back-without-its-soul</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d6466f0611ac839ce6f5b4</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:19:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_c591ccacaf4743a5941f87b83cfbd793~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BEHIND THE SCENES: A Beautifully Layered Drama That Needed Sharper Consequences]]></title><description><![CDATA[What makes Behind The Scenes instantly compelling is how sharply it understands the emotional economy of family. Aderonke is not just the ri]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/behind-the-scenes-a-beautifully-layered-drama-that-needed-sharper-consequences</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d291e58b297b54b736e946</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 16:57:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_daa236bdadca48019a1a48455b2dc8f7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_819,h_376,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aba Blues: A Beautiful Idea Lost in Execution]]></title><description><![CDATA[In Aba Blues, director Jack’enneth attempts to explore a deeply familiar yet emotionally layered premise, love interrupted, choices made, and the lingering weight of “what could have been.]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/aba-blues-a-beautiful-idea-lost-in-execution</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ce494b535e7bcd26979311</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:52:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_c0815ed95c3a4aab853a999f6a55cda8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_819,h_379,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Evi: An Ambitious Story Grounded In Authenticity That Lands Fairly Well]]></title><description><![CDATA[At its core, Evi is a story about the cost of becoming, what you lose, what you gain, and ultimately, who you become in the process. It is a premise rich with emotional potential, particularly within Nollywood where musicals remain a relatively underdeveloped genre with so much room for experimentation and growth.]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/evi-when-ambition-meets-authenticity-and-landed-fairly-well</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cf7b8270c127bc4ede568e</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_5790a63c3007496eb4a7c80af71e3d19~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_874,h_481,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Headless, Bold Nollywood Thriller That Couldn’t Hold Its Nerve]]></title><description><![CDATA[At its core, Headless is an ambitious and intriguing attempt to merge crime, psychological tension, and industry introspection into a single]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/headless-a-bold-nollywood-thriller-that-couldn-t-hold-it-s-nerve</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c945c3d1d6d2cc935aeca3</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 15:36:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_5966d1860dab4049af1a803e92b4d677~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_843,h_499,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Drenched in Survival: Onobiren and the Quiet Violence of Becoming]]></title><description><![CDATA[Onobiren is not interested in making you feel sorry for its protagonist, it wants you to understand her. The film leans into a survival narrative that feels spiritually aligned with films like Genevieve’s Lionheart in its grounding, but with the emotional weight and moral ambiguity closer to the 2009 American drama, Precious.]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/drenched-in-survival-onobiren-and-the-quiet-violence-of-becoming</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c2841536a1fdc193be3040</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_1ae762ca4d844531b412327c7f652800~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_951,h_609,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mother’s Love, Clear Vision, Strong Themes, and an Execution That Leaves Room for More]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mother’s Love, the directorial debut of Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, steps into a delicate emotional space with a story that is both intimate and socially aware. At its core, the film explores the fine line between love and control, particularly through the lens of parenting shaped by grief.]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/mother-s-love-clear-vision-strong-themes-and-an-execution-that-leaves-room-for-more</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69bbecbe75ade47ce7bd804a</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:53:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_4e844876ff504115bbf1136cdb0554ff~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_770,h_384,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Nollywood First: When Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde Turned a Film Into a Gift for Nigeria]]></title><description><![CDATA[This context highlights just how unusual Omotola’s decision is within Nollywood. Here is a filmmaker who has invested personal resources, creative energy, and years of work into a project, and yet has chosen to redirect all the earnings that would come to her toward a social cause. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/the-nollywood-first-when-omotola-jalade-ekeinde-turned-a-film-into-a-gift-for-nigeria</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b48a4fc67485c2a9d8cf88</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 22:24:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_43a12f44b97c4be7a50a4d487c9d8205~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_548,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Utica Capital's N20 Billion for Nollywood: A Turning Point for the Industry or a Fund for the Familiar Few?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This context makes the recent announcement by Utica Capital Limited of a N20 billion film investment fund, approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission Nigeria, particularly noteworthy. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/utica-capital-s-n20-billion-for-nollywood-a-turning-point-for-the-industry-or-a-fund-for-the-famili</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b144d8f333f99e51f26904</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:44:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_1767443fddbd428c94e70a82347d44b1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_200,h_91,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[If Streaming Is Struggling, Africa May Need to Rebuild Cinema From the Community Up]]></title><description><![CDATA[Long before streaming platforms and premium mall cinemas, African entertainment thrived in communal environments. Storytelling happened in village squares, music was experienced in open gatherings, and public screenings of football matches remain one of the continent’s most popular social experiences today. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/if-streaming-is-struggling-africa-may-need-to-rebuild-cinema-from-the-community-up</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ad9b9f3fdd64550e6c7f3f</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:58:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_1274379110594b07bd06fc876278524c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_518,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The End of Showmax, Why Africa’s Biggest Streaming Experiment Couldn’t Survive]]></title><description><![CDATA[Streaming is one of the most expensive businesses in modern entertainment. You are not just paying for films and series, you are funding technology infrastructure, servers, user experience systems, licensing deals, marketing campaigns, and constant content pipelines that keep subscribers engaged month after month.]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/the-end-of-showmax-why-africa-s-biggest-streaming-experiment-couldn-t-survive</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a9713a48ed77c778232fbe</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:09:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_af2bf464c22d4badb3a71fa5564011c4~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_820,h_312,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Who Teach Audience Taste? How Nigerian Cinemas Created the Monster They Now Blame]]></title><description><![CDATA[For years, Nigerian cinemas have defended their programming choices with the same line, “This is what the audience wants to watch.” But that statement collapses under scrutiny. Audiences don’t form taste in a vacuum; they respond to what they are consistently offered, marketed, and told is worth paying for.]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/who-teach-audience-taste-how-nigerian-cinemas-created-the-monster-they-now-blame</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a6f5da7c30ee37982fe1bf</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:35:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_a37fe761714b41e8bdd1cfc8a743e053~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_499,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Prime Video Stopped Betting On Our Stories]]></title><description><![CDATA[Prime Video’s retreat from serious investment in Nigerian and wider African originals wasn’t sudden to insiders; it was a slow unravelling that went public in January 2024 when Amazon signalled it would stop commissioning local originals across Africa and the Middle East and restructure its regional teams. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/why-prime-video-stopped-betting-on-our-stories</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a6f26db220091e29d7d4dd</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:51:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_7611b3bef9534ac9ba6f0d9fb6439cf4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_640,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mothers of Chibok: The Story We Moved On From, But They Never Did]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mothers of Chibok forces us to confront a truth we rarely sit with: while the world moved on, these mothers never had that luxury. This documentary does not try to retell the tragedy in the way we expect.]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/mothers-of-chibok-the-story-we-moved-on-from-but-they-never-did</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c0111160de372da5789d8d</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 17:01:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_b8a1348522db4c2685c153b2ea1f5f6e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Box Office Is Calculated Based on Tickets Sold, Not Seats Occupied]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the most common ways films generate early momentum is through bulk ticket purchases. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/box-office-is-calculated-based-on-tickets-sold-not-seats-occupied</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a2b3998e65be2d1bd1f5b0</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 09:24:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_9858243031aa4fb188d4ecdaa89d7bb5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Netflix Quietly Hit the Brakes on Nollywood]]></title><description><![CDATA[The reasoning behind Netflix’s pullback is rooted in the economics of Nollywood. Film production costs have ballooned over the last five years; a mid-tier Nollywood feature now costs between N50 million and N150 million, with high-end productions sometimes exceeding N200 million. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/why-netflix-quietly-hit-the-brakes-on-nollywood</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a06ae4fa78e209eb889e5e</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:50:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_5acaffcc05064cd5807763a26d902a75~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_756,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Ministry With the Microphone: Big Speeches, Who Gets the Funding?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The relationship between Nigeria’s creative economy and Nollywood is unbalanced, frustrating, and, honestly, exhausting. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/the-ministry-with-the-microphone-big-speeches-who-gets-the-funding</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699f1b60d68e5ff18efcb7cd</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:11:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_0a4508ca053f4a73a81690f9d23800e6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_527,h_335,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Harsh Realities of Nollywood Cinema For Young Filmmakers]]></title><description><![CDATA[Nollywood’s box office may dazzle with a projected N12 billion in 2025, but this masks a brutal reality: the industry is a high-risk gamble where only a few blockbusters thrive. ]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/the-harsh-realities-of-nollywood-cinema-for-young-filmmakers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699ed287e9360bd69c362742</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:53:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_e358b78333894284b73c48ffae1610ff~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_526,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mo Abudu: She Globalized Nollywood, But Did She Grow It?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mo Abudu’s arrival in Nollywood wasn’t accidental; it was strategic. She came armed with a background in media, a strong corporate network, and an understanding of branding that most filmmakers at the time didn’t possess.]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/mo-abudu-she-globalized-nollywood-but-did-she-grow-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699ed4ec91604ab56c345953</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_5b2ee2cce329496894678c5d5f186c39~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nollywood’s Biggest Problem Isn’t Budget, It’s Honesty]]></title><description><![CDATA[Is Nollywood’s biggest challenge really budget, or is it honesty? This compelling analysis explores how storytelling integrity, creative risk, and transparent evaluation may be the true keys to lasting industry growth.
]]></description><link>https://www.damidawson.com/post/nollywood-s-biggest-problem-isn-t-budget-it-s-honesty</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699c23df9b838a9bc87458cf</guid><category><![CDATA[Commentaries]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:05:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f87a6d_fece26d1417c4b288bc3f6fe89e13bb6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_702,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Dami Dawson</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>