Damilola Orimogunje’s ‘Dear Ajayi’ to Make Nigeria’s First Venice Giornate degli Autori Entry, Venice Trailer Released

Next week, Nigerian filmmaker Damilola Orimogunje will bring his second feature film, Dear Ajayi, to Venice as part of the parallel Giornate degli Autori selection, marking what Deadline describes as the first entry from Nigeria in the Giornate competition. Deadline published a first look at the film with the release of an official trailer, introducing the project ahead of its festival run in late August.

The film is positioned by Deadline as Orimogunje’s follow-up to his earlier work, For Maria Ebun Pataki, which Deadline also cites in connection with his career. With Dear Ajayi, Deadline frames the project as Orimogunje’s second feature-length effort, now set for presentation in Venice through the Autori section rather than the festival’s main competition slate.

Deadline’s coverage emphasizes that Dear Ajayi carries the distinction of being the first title from Nigeria to play in the Giornate degli Autori section’s competition. The Giornate degli Autori is described in the same report as the venue for the film’s screening as it advances through that specific Venice year program.

Deadline’s article also reports that the film’s synopsis is included in its festival description, though the specific synopsis text is not reproduced in the provided excerpt. Alongside the trailer, the report presents the film title and credits enough to identify it as a major festival debut for Orimogunje’s next project within the Venice ecosystem.

For audiences and industry professionals, a Venice presentation in a major European film festival program typically functions as a public milestone in a film’s release cycle, increasing visibility with distributors, sales agents, and critics. In this case, the first look trailer adds an additional layer of public-facing information as the film prepares to enter a high-profile festival schedule.

The next step, as reflected in Deadline’s reporting, is the film’s actual screening in Venice next week under the Giornate degli Autori competition umbrella. After the Venice dates, the film’s trajectory will depend on how it is received during the festival, including whether it finds additional buyers or partners for subsequent distribution, though those outcomes are not detailed in the Deadline article excerpt provided.

As of today, the only confirmed milestones in the provided record are the trailer release and the announcement of Dear Ajayi’s participation in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori next week, plus the characterization of the title as Nigeria’s first entry in that competition. Further details, including additional cast, creative credits, and the full synopsis text, were not included in the excerpt and would require a direct review of the complete festival listing or full publication text for confirmation.