The Future Awards winners spotlight: Kemi Lala Akindoju blazes the trail

It'd not be inaccurate to say that lots of people were surprised in the event the winner of the Actor With the Year for the 2010 edition of the future Awards was announced. In the end, Lala Akindoju was a relatively unknown upstart, particularly in comparison with the movie stars the lady was nominated against, including Mercy Johnson and Nonso Diobi.

It'd also not be inaccurate to convey that her progress since than has proven any kind of possible doubters wrong and underscored the deservedness involving her win. Consider that; in the past year alone she's made her big display screen debut in Charles Novia’s Mike Poza, worked as a casting director for that NdaniTV web series Gidi Up, and performed in the particular musical play, Kakadu. She was also a part of a delegation of Nigerian actors who performed for the “Nigeria House” during the particular 2012 Olympics, starring in every three plays that ended up staged, as well since juggling other responsibilities within production. This is all besides regular — of the woman's Open Mic theatre motivation, and her attempts to push a little more forward her ambitions of turning out to be, in her own words and phrases, a “super-producer, ” having her production company, Allow it to become Happen Productions.

Akindoju got her start in the market in 2007, with the particular team that started the particular Theatre At Terra motivation at Terra Kulture, having Wole Oguntokun, working in everything from her main goals involving acting, to “managing money the ones to sweeping the flooring surfaces, prepping the sets, acquiring okadas”.

Earlier this year the woman's production company staged some performances of The V-Monologues, starring marketplace heavyweights like Bimbo Akintola, Taiwo Ajai Lycett and Dakore Akande. The displays held to rave evaluations, not just for the acting talent but for the ability of whomever was behind it, to put it all together. This kind of person, of course, seemed to be Lala, who spoke around the experience in an appointment with YNaija earlier this coming year;

It was very boring. Since that was my personal first production on which scale, asides from Available Mic theatre. I were being in talks with TYPE, the NGO that owns the rights for the Nigerian franchise and these were shopping for capable hands to generate. Initially when I predetermined, I did not realize what it would take by me. It was while i got into it i always realized how much work it was. Difficult because I feel young, just starting out and about, with no staff. It can be almost a month and My business is still balancing accounts, still paying some money occasionally which by some organization accounts really isn’t therefore bad.

I knew I need to a quality production, men and women will see and they wont be similar to ‘lets excuse her, she is the first producer’. I wanted something that you will find exceptional artistically and functionality wise. So hiring the particular actors and convincing them, I don’t even understand, I guess I’ll need to thank God for that because once i convinced the director, Ifeoma Fafunwa who actually is my acting coach, the remaining sort of followed fit. I guess a great deal of people saw something within me beyond the currently. But I learned; the way to manage people, how to write up a media plan, the way to manage resources. Friends and family helped, lots involving help kept me proceeding. I have not recovered but My business is closer than where We started from.

But what’s next for Lala? Well her production company happens to be working on a documentary “about icons like Onyeka Onwenu, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett. ” Moreover, she’s snagged a role in Tunde Kelani’s next film, Dazzling Mirage, and, she promises, even far more stage work.