Cinematographer, Joel Benson Kachi Becomes The First Nigerian to Win An Emmy!
Joel Benson Kachi has made history as the first Nigerian to win an Emmy Award in the “Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary” category at the 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards for his documentary “Madu”.
The film tells the inspiring story of Anthony Madu, a young Nigerian ballet dancer who gained global attention after a 44-second video of him dancing barefoot in the rain went viral in 2020.
He was 11 years old, when the video drew the attention of more than 16 million social media users. It garnered over 16 million views.
The Documentary
“Madu” chronicles Anthony’s remarkable journey from his humble beginnings in Nigeria to the United Kingdom, where he earned a scholarship to the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School. The film takes viewers on an emotional ride, showcasing Anthony’s triumphs and trials as he navigates the challenges of pursuing his dreams.
A New Project
Kachi is currently working on a new documentary project, “Mothers of Chibok” a sequel to his acclaimed “Daughters of Chibok,”.
This upcoming film will shed light on the resilience and strength of the mothers of the Chibok girls, who were abducted by Boko Haram in 2014.
The documentary follows the lives of four Nigerian mothers from the Chibok community in Borno State and their struggles to educate their children, marking the 10th anniversary of the tragic event.ยน
Personal Connection
Kachi’s personal experiences may have drawn him to these powerful stories. On July 10, 2023, he was allegedly kidnapped at his home in Ibafo, Ogun State, and held for ransom. The kidnappers demanded a N50 million ransom. This ordeal may have deepened the former gospel musician’s connection to stories of resilience and hope.
A Milestone Achievement
Kachi’s Emmy win marks a significant milestone for Nigerian documentary filmmaking and paves the way for future generations of storytellers. “Madu” is a powerful example of the impact of storytelling and the importance of showcasing diverse perspectives and experiences.
Celebrating a Nigerian Success Story
We congratulate Joel Benson Kachi on his historic win and celebrate the success of “Madu” as a shining example of Nigerian talent and creativity.ยฒ
Composer Andrew Weeks At Sheffield Documentary Festival 2025
Film & TV Composer Andrew Weeks is currently at Sheffield Doc Fest 2025. He made an appearance Friday 20th and will attend every day till Sun the 22nd June.
He is currently writing for the award-winning EYE FILM production company, on their 8-year filming project around the renovation of Norwich Castle. The feature-length documentary, Norwich Castle: A Royal Transformation will be hitting Channel 4 this summer narrated by the one and only Sir Stephen Fry!
This extraordinary ยฃ27.5m restoration has brought the medieval Norman Keepback to its former glory, showcasing the hard work of project curator Dr Tim Pestell, leading architects, engineers, and contractors.
The Norman Keep is set to reopen in spring 2025, transporting visitors back to 1121 and the days of William the Conqueror and Henry I. This documentary highlights the historical and cultural importance of Norwich Castle and its impact on the region.
Taskovski Films Sales picks up โRedlight to Limelightโ, directed by Bipuljit Basu.
The film was produced by Nilotpal Majumdar and co-produced by John Webster and Uldis Cekulis, with Emma Hindley and Somnath Gosh acting as executive producers. The film will have its world premiere at Sheffield DocFest in the International First Feature Competition.
Logline: A high-spirited group of Indian sex workers and their families begin making short films to transform their own lives and inspire others.
Synopsis: Redlight to Limelight follows a group of young children who are passionately weaving stories with mothers and sisters through their video production unit called CAM-ON to cultivate a meaningful change in the lives of a special community of sex workers in the brothel of Kalighat, Kolkata.
Keeping aside the ghosts of their grimy reality and who they were, women and children get immersed in an incredible joy of storytelling with a burning desire to turn the brothel into a better place. Woven around the experiences of mothers and sisters, CAM ON embarks on making a new short fiction Nupur, which is often entwined between memories and actuality, takes them through a catharsis when the community premieres the film for a public screening.
With joy and the power of storytelling, artful voices make their grimy universe a liberating space of self-assertion.
Irena Taskovski, CEO & Head of Acquisitions at Taskovski Films:
โRedlight to Limelight is a powerful testament to the healing force of cinema and a celebration of friendship and long-term collaboration. Discovering new Indian talent like Bipuljit Basu and working with long-time partners such as Nilotpal Majumder, who has spent decades nurturing Indian documentary voices through Docedge Kolkata, and dear colleagues like Uldis Cekulis and John Webster is a true privilege.
Set in Kolkataโs most stigmatized red-light district, the film follows the CAM-ON collectiveโs creative journey, revealing stories of resilience and hope. It shows how filmmaking can transform pain into purpose and give marginalised voices dignity and joy.โ
Bipuljit Basu, Director:
โWith Redlight to Limelight, it was essential to let the mothers and children of Kolkataโs red-light district tell their own stories through their own lens. In this process, we uncover a shared desire for dignity and transformation. We partnered with Taskovski Films because they truly understood our visionโthe power of collective creativity to inspire change.โ
Nilotpal Majumdar, Producer:
โTaskovski Films has long been a supporter of bold Indian cinema, with an award-winning catalogue that has inspired us for years. Their deep commitment goes beyond distributionโthey nurture each film with care and vision. Weโre proud to join forces with a team that truly elevates the stories they represent and bring Redlight to Limelight to global audiences.โ
โRedlight to Limelightโ Team at the Sheffield DocFest:
Bipuljit Basu (Director): June 18th – June 23rd
Nilotpal Majumdar (Producer): June 18th – June 23rd
John Webster (Producer): June 18th – June 21st
Uldis Cekulis (Producer): June 18th – June 21st
Somnath Ghosh (Executive Producer): June 18th – June 23rd
Emma Hindley (Executive Producer): June 19th
Screenings:
Thursday, June 19th 21:00 The Light – Screen 6
Saturday, June 21st 17:45 Showroom – Screen 2
BIOGRAPHIES:
BIPULJIT BASU – Director Bipuljit Basu, a Sundance Institute and IDFA grantee, is an emerging filmmaker specializing in Indian factual cinema, reality cinema, and documentaries. His work focuses on bringing lesser-known South Asian marginal stories into mainstream film and media. A postgraduate in Social Development, Bipuljit uncovers unexplored narratives with significant social relevance in popular culture, aiming to create a meaningful impact across broader social spectrums. He firmly believes in showcasing inclusion as a powerful tool for social change.
From 2016 to 2019, Bipuljit also worked as an overseas distributor, bringing carefully curated social-issue-based stories to audiences in North America and Europe. Additionally, Bipuljit served as an Asian jury member at the Science Film Festival, hosted by UNDP and the Goethe Institute, which took place across 94 countries.
NILOTPAL MAJUMDAR – Producer Nilotpal Majumder, a postgraduate from the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune, specializing in Editing, spearheaded the first Asian documentary pitching forum, Docedge-Kolkata, Asian Forum for Documentary. This initiative advances alternative reality storytelling in the region through skill development, incubation, and professional assistance. He has contributed to numerous films as a Director, Cinematographer, and Editor, and has participated in international festivals, forums, and workshops as a jury member, tutor, and mentor.
Formerly, he served as the Dean of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Government of India. Currently, he is the Director of the Manipur Film & Television Institute in Imphal. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the culture of global documentary cinema, he was honored with the European Documentary Network Award in 2017.
CUBA & ALASKA Director Yegor Troyanovsky, currently serving in Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, will be present for the filmโs Q/A
Ukrainian Army frontline medics โCubaโ and โAlaskaโ, the two stars of the feature documentary, are already in-person at the festival
See-Through Films has confirmed Filmmaker Yegor Troyanovsky, whose feature documentary CUBA & ALASKA is world premiering at Sheffield Doc Fest, is currently traveling to Sheffield from his active military service in the Ukraine Armyโs Special Forces.
As of late Thursday, June 20, 2025, Troyanovsky had successfully crossed the Ukrainian border and was expected to arrive at the festival in time for the filmโs second screening Q/A. The screening is scheduled for Saturday, June 21st at The Light-Screen 9, at 10:15am.
The film profiles best-friends โCubaโ & โAlaskaโ, two wisecracking medics on Ukraineโs frontline, living the same battlefield story as all soldiers: slowly losing connections with friends, family and their previous lives the longer they stand up for Ukraine. In a place where laughter is armor and friendship is survival, can the two ever go back to the life they used to know?
โCubaโ (Yulia Sidorova) and โAlaskaโ (Olexandra) had already arrived in the UK ahead of the filmโs world premiere screening on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Both were welcomed at the Ukrainian Embassy in London by the Ukraine Ambassador.
โ”It is a great honor for me to meet the heroines of this deep and sincere film. These women are true symbols of the strength of the Ukrainian people. In the most difficult times, they demonstrate courage, resilience and boundless love for Ukraine. Their stories are about the struggle for freedom, dignity and life. It is thanks to such people that Ukraine holds on, and the world sees that we are fighting not only for our land, but for values โโcommon to all civilized humanity. I thank the authors of the film for this extremely important work, which helps Europe and the world better understand Ukraine and its indomitable people,” said General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ambassador of Ukraine.
CUBA & ALASKA is a raw and intimate profile of two Ukrainian medics from the frontlines of the war that captures the funny; the arcane, and the painfully tragic times that make up a soldierโs emotional journey during wartime. Body cams, cell phones, and the directorโs camera fill in the story between the constant danger, bouts of survivorsโ guilt, and a longing to โgo backโ โ to return to the life they had when dreams were still possible. Fueled by the enormously contagious laughter from Cuba, and the dark black humor of Alaska, the two best friends face down the unknown together with a warrior fierceness befitting Thelma & Louise.
If you are attending the Sheffield Documentary Festival, one series you shouldn’t miss out on is the World of Wonder events!
It is sure to make you say wow with the incredible lineup of documentaries and conversations that they have curated specially for lovers of documentaries.
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato invite you to come be inspired and entertained!
In their own words:
Thursday, 19 June In From the WOW Werq Room, we share some sizzles and pitches and talk about the challenges of getting projects greenlit. It never gets easier – and weโll discuss finding alternative ways forward.
In the afternoon, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Ronan Farrow joins us to talk about his projects and our work together turning podcasts into series.
The screening of Strange Journey marks the UK premiere of a fantastic documentary about the phenomenon of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, directed by Linus OโBrien. Without Rocky Horror, would there be Drag Race? This show has had an enormous influence on us, and we are thrilled to be Executive Producers.
Saturday, 21 June Itโs an extraordinary honor to be in conversation with Dawn Airey, the founder of Five and a blazing, give-no-Fs pioneer of British media. Strong women have always inspired us, and so in addition to discussing The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Britney Spears, and Drag Race, weโll talk about how we hope to navigate the future with WOWPresents Plus. Our own strange journey began with a homemade public access TV show in New York. That led to The Adam and Joe Show, and itโs incredible to reunite with them for An Evening with Adam and Joe.
Sunday, 22 June Inside Deep Throat is an account of the seminal adult film that broke all box office records in the 1970s. Itโs a rare treat toscreen this documentary feature we directed and, we hope, a happy ending to our time together in Sheffield.
