Over the Bridge, the debut feature film by Nigerian filmmaker, Tolu Ajayi is set to be released in Nigerian cinemas on 5th September, 2025
By Vivian Nneka Nwajiaku
Over the Bridge (2023), the debut feature film by Nigerian filmmaker, Tolu Ajayi is set to be released in Nigerian cinemas on 5th September, 2025, nearly two years after the film had its World Premiere in the UK in October 2023.
A psychological thriller produced by Bose Oshin and writer, Tosin Otudeko, under the banner of The Garden Theatre Company, Over The Bridge tells the story of a man’s journey while grappling with his emotional state and the quest to rediscover purpose in the midst of the internal and external pressures he is facing.
Ozzy Agu, a 2025 Berlinale Talent, stars in the lead role as Folarin, an accomplished investment banker whose dream high-profile infrastructure project is beset with scandal. After Folarin goes missing, his wife (Segilola Ogidan) grapples with his disappearance while he attempts to rediscover himself far away from home.
The film also features Chimezie Imo, Paul Adams, Joke Silva, Akin Lewis, Toyin Oshinaike, Deyemi Okanlawon, Elma Mbadiwe, Oludara Egerton-Shyngle, Ropo Ewenla, Sola Onayiga, and newcomer, Darasimi Awoniyi, in supporting roles.
Culture critic, Frank Njugi, reviewing the feature for Afrocritik, described it as “not just a critique of Nigeria’s systemic rot, but a meditation on emotional disintegration, as mental health is positioned not as a narrative footnote, but as a core element in the story of ambition and success”.
The Nigerian theatrical release marks a long-awaited homecoming for a Nigerian film that has been making its mark outside the borders of Nigeria. One of the country’s well-travelled films in the past two years, Over the Bridge opened the 31st edition of the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) in 2023, screened at the 2024 Afrikaldia Basque African Film Festival in Spain, and was the Opening Night Film at the Seattle Black Film Festival, 2025.
In Africa, Over the Bridge was also well received at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in 2023 and earned twelve nominations at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award (AMVCA) in 2024, winning the Best Cinematography category.
The thriller recently screened in theatres in Kenya and Rwanda, through Screen Connect, a new distribution initiative that aims to bridge the distribution gap in pan-African cinema. In Nigeria, Over the Bridge is distributed by Nile Entertainment.