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Kemi Adetiba: The record breaking director making movie magic

Story highlights
  • Kemi Adetiba is one of Nigeria's top filmmakers
  • Her first film was the highest grossing in Nigerian history

Lagos(CNN) The art of telling a great story is timeless, and film director and producer Kemi Adetiba is drawing on her skills to make magic behind the camera.

"Everything I do I have dreams about it... I get a barrage of pictures coming into my head," Adetiba told CNN.

Her work has been seen across the world and it all started from her childhood, where she spent some time in front of the camera appearing in commercials.

"I was always a very creative kid. My first love was definitely in the creative [industry] and it was cultivated by my parents because they were also very creative," she said.

That creativity led her to a successful career in radio and television. But there was an urge for more and Adebita decided to diversify her talents.

"I'd find it intriguing when I would go off for shoots with the cameramen, and they would be pressing buttons and fiddling, and I was like what is that?"

"I wanted to know so much more about it "

In 2007, Adetiba decided to leave Nigeria to study film at the New York Film Academy and transitioned to life behind the camera. Upon her return to Nigeria she began directing music videos and quickly became an expert in her field.

Last year her feature film debut 'The Wedding Party' hit the screens and became a defining moment for Nigerian cinema. It was the first movie to surpass the $1.3 million mark at the Nigerian box office and is currently the highest grossing film in Nigerian history.

"I knew it was going to break the record but I did not know we were going to completely annihilate it."

After obtaining commercial success Adetiba pursued what she calls her passion project, a series called 'King Women,' inspired by her mother.

"It's an online source of mentorship and inspiration and that's exactly what I got from my mum, so to me, she's my king woman."

Adetiba continues to dream big and through her powerful storytelling and hard work, she is determined to scoop one of the biggest prizes of all.

"I honestly do believe that winning an Oscar is going to come very soon," she said. "I've given myself two to five years."

Torera Idowu contributed to this report
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