🎬 Quick Summary: Three Nigerian films are in the programme of the 70th BFI London Film Festival, which runs from 7 to 18 October 2026: The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (Journey strand, European premiere, 119 minutes), Clarissa by Arie and Chuko Esiri (134 minutes, a reimagining of Mrs Dalloway set in contemporary Lagos), and Lady by Olive Nwosu (93 minutes, in the First Feature Competition for the Sutherland Award). The festival closes on Sunday 18 October. BFI tickets start from £10, with £6 tickets for people aged 16 to 25 who sign up for BFI 25 and Under. Baba Segi’s Wives opens in Nigerian cinemas on 4 December 2026.
Nigerian cinema is having a visible year on the festival circuit. After Toronto, three Nigerian titles have now reached London, where the BFI festival marks its 70th edition. The festival ends on Sunday, so if you are in the UK, time is short. Here is what each film is, who is in it, and how to book.
BFI London Film Festival 2026 — Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Edition | 70th BFI London Film Festival |
| Dates | 7 to 18 October 2026 |
| Best Film Award announced | Sunday 18 October |
| Tickets | From £10 for London screenings, with concessions on many |
| Booking fee (non-members) | £1 per ticket online or by phone, up to £3 per transaction; none at the box office |
| Ages 16 to 25 | Sign up free to BFI 25 and Under for a chance at £6 tickets, subject to availability |
| Nigerian films | The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Clarissa, Lady |
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives
Daniel Oriahi’s adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s novel screens in the festival’s Journey strand and is making its European premiere after its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The BFI lists it as a Nigeria 2026 production running 119 minutes, in Yoruba and English with some English subtitles. Its screenwriters are credited by the BFI as Adze Ugah, Daniel Oriahi, Heidi Uys and Mo Abudu, although other outlets have listed Lola Shoneyin among the writers, so credits vary by source.
The story. Patriarch Baba Segi oversees a seemingly harmonious polygamous household of three wives and their children. When his youngest, university-educated wife arrives and cannot conceive, cracks appear in the family’s carefully maintained order. The BFI says Oriahi foregrounds the women’s lives and stories.
Who plays who. According to the TIFF listing, Odunlade Adekola plays Baba Segi, Iyabo Ojo is first wife Iya Segi, Mercy Aigbe is second wife Iya Tope, Bimbo Ademoye is third wife Iya Femi, and Omowunmi Dada plays the youngest wife, Bolanle.
Content advice. The BFI says the film contains scenes of sex and sexual violence and themes of abortion.
Back home. The film opens in Nigerian cinemas on 4 December 2026. It played in the Centrepiece programme at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (10 to 20 September 2026), which Mo Abudu described as an incredible honour for Nigerian storytelling. She has said it is performed predominantly in Yoruba with full subtitles.
Clarissa
Arie and Chuko Esiri, whose earlier film Eyimofe screened at the festival in 2020, return with their second feature. The BFI describes it as a delicate, sun-soaked reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway set in contemporary Lagos. Chuko Esiri wrote it. Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo and India Amarteifio star. It is a Nigeria-USA production running 134 minutes, in English and Nigerian Pidgin with some English subtitles, and its listed distributor is NEON.
The story takes place on the day of Clarissa’s garden party. As she prepares to reunite with old friends, she reflects on a summer that shaped the course of their lives. The BFI says it uses Woolf’s novel as a jumping-off point for a look at class and gender in contemporary Nigerian society, and it carries a content warning for flashing images. WhatKeptMeUp reports that the film has already screened at Cannes, TIFF, Melbourne and the New York Film Festival.
Lady
Olive Nwosu’s debut feature competes in the festival’s First Feature Competition, where the winner receives the Sutherland Award for the year’s most original and imaginative directorial debut. It is a UK-Nigeria co-production running 93 minutes, in Nigerian Pidgin with English subtitles.
The story. Lady is one of Lagos’s few female cab drivers. She works long, lonely hours saving up to leave the city. When her childhood friend Pinky, now a sex worker, returns and asks for help, Lady is drawn into driving a crew of women through Lagos’s nightlife, and an unexpected sisterhood grows.
The cast. Jessica Gabriel’s Ujah, Amanda Oruh and Tinuade Jemiseye lead. The BFI also lists Precious Agu Eke and Bucci Franklin, and the British Council’s film database lists Seun Kuti in the cast.
Awards. The ensemble won the Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble in the World Cinema Dramatic competition at Sundance in January 2026, and the film has also played in the Panorama section at the Berlin Film Festival. It was developed with Film4 and supported by the BFI.
What critics say. A review on The Film Verdict called it a raw but impressive debut with an energetic portrait of Lagos, though it found the film’s late political awakening a little forced.
Release. Screen Daily reported that Metis Films has acquired UK and Ireland rights and plans a theatrical release in 2027. We have not found a Nigerian release date.
How to Book
Tickets start from £10 for London screenings. Non-members pay a booking fee of £1 per ticket online or by phone (up to £3 per transaction) but nothing at the box office. If you are 16 to 25, sign up to BFI 25 and Under for a chance at £6 tickets. The BFI also releases extra tickets and runs standby queues, so sold-out screenings are worth checking. Screening dates and times for each film are on the BFI’s page for that title at whatson.bfi.org.uk, and the festival ends on 18 October.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Nigerian films are at the 2026 BFI London Film Festival?
Three: The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Clarissa by Arie and Chuko Esiri, and Lady by Olive Nwosu.
When does the 2026 BFI London Film Festival end?
Sunday 18 October 2026. The festival began on 7 October.
Who plays who in The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives?
Per the TIFF listing: Odunlade Adekola as Baba Segi, Iyabo Ojo as Iya Segi, Mercy Aigbe as Iya Tope, Bimbo Ademoye as Iya Femi, and Omowunmi Dada as the youngest wife, Bolanle.
Is The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives in Yoruba?
Yes, predominantly. The BFI lists the languages as Yoruba and English with some English subtitles.
When does Baba Segi’s Wives open in Nigeria?
4 December 2026, in cinemas nationwide.
Which Nigerian film is competing for the Sutherland Award?
Lady, directed by Olive Nwosu, is in the First Feature Competition, which awards the Sutherland Award for best directorial debut.
Is Lady coming to cinemas?
Metis Films plans a UK and Ireland theatrical release in 2027. No Nigerian release date has been announced that we could find.
Stay Updated
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Sources
- BFI London Film Festival 2026 — film pages for The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Clarissa and Lady, and festival information — whatson.bfi.org.uk
- British Council Film — project listings for Lady — filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org
Last updated: 14 October 2026 · NaijaSabi Entertainment Desk
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