Set to run monthly, Saving Cinema positions itself as both an exhibition platform and a cultural gathering point.
By Joseph Jonathan
A new screening initiative aimed at revitalising communal film culture and spotlighting independent voices is set to debut this April, as filmmakers Adebayo Oduwole and Praise Okeoghene Vandeh partner with Magnificent Cinemas to launch Saving Cinema, a monthly screening series dedicated to indie short films. The inaugural edition is scheduled for April 11, 2026.
The idea for Saving Cinema began casually, born out of a shared viewing experience. After watching a double feature across two Lagos cinemas, the duo jokingly coined the phrase “saving cinema,” a remark that would later evolve into a mission. That phrase lingered through the making of their film When Tari Met Voke, eventually taking shape as a tangible response to the gaps they observed in the exhibition of independent films.
The concept found its footing when Oduwole encountered Magnificent Cinemas, a space he immediately recognised as an ideal venue for intimate, community-driven screenings. A message to Vandeh soon followed, and from there, the blueprint for Saving Cinema began to take form, anchored by a desire to create a consistent platform where filmmakers and audiences can engage beyond the limitations of digital distribution.
For Oduwole, the initiative is as much about cultural renewal as it is about access. “Saving Cinema is about trying to inject some much-needed fresh blood into cinema culture, one screen at a time,” he explains. “There’s something extra special about being able to watch on the silver screen and actually talk about the film you just saw with a group of strangers who could become more than strangers.”
Vandeh frames the project as both a corrective and a response to shifting viewing habits. While acknowledging the dominance of streaming platforms, she emphasises the importance of reclaiming cinema as a shared, social experience. “Many indie filmmakers are producing amazing films, but they don’t get to watch them on the big screen,” she says. “They’re often limited to Vimeo and YouTube links, but these stories deserve more. Some of my best experiences have happened in cinemas, complete strangers reacting together. These screenings are about rebuilding that sense of community, especially at a time when people feel increasingly disconnected.”
The partnership with Magnificent Cinemas reflects a mutual interest in expanding the range of stories available on Nigerian screens. According to Akinyode Olajide, a representative of the cinema, the initiative aligns with a broader goal of supporting filmmakers whose works may not easily secure mainstream distribution. “We want to provide a venue for filmmakers to premiere completed projects, especially those that might struggle to find traditional pathways to audiences,” he notes.
Set to run monthly, Saving Cinema positions itself as both an exhibition platform and a cultural gathering point: one that centres independent storytelling while encouraging dialogue, connection, and sustained audience engagement. At a time when questions around the future of cinema persist, the series offers a grounded, practical intervention: bringing people back into the theatre, one screening at a time.
Attendance for the first edition is open via registration here.