Early life and career
Austen-Peters was born in 1969 in Ibadan, Oyo State in the south-western region of Nigeria. She is the daughter of Emmanuel Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Rtd Major, Mrs Bisi Babalola.[3][16] She gained a BA in Law from the University of Lagos and an MA from London School of Economics and Political Science.[3] In the 1990s she worked as a lawyer in Afe Babalola and Co Barristers and Solicitors and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Switzerland .[17]
In 2003, she founded Terra Kulture, an educational and cultural hub for Nigerian languages, arts, and culture. It includes a restaurant, art gallery, auction house, bookstore, language school, theater, film production studio, and Academy for the study of art. Located on Tiamiyu Savage Street in Lagos, its Arena is the first privately owned theater in Nigeria.[18]
In 2013, she established her own production company Bolanle Austen-Peters Productions (BAP Productions). BAP Production is the production house, set up to change the narrative about Africa by promoting women as example from FRK, Fela and the Kalakuta queens;[19] social issues e.g. The Bling Lagosians and Collision Course (2021 film) and 93 Days. The company entered the Nigerian theater industry with its first production Saro, the musical.[20] The musical was staged in Lagos and in 2016 went on tour to London's West End.[21] The musical tells the story of four young men who decide to embark on a journey to Lagos where they seek to realize their dreams.
In 2015, Austen-Peters produced the film 93 Days .[22][23] It tells the story of the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria and premiered on 13 September 2016 in Lagos. It was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival,[24] The Chicago Film Festival,[25] the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles,[26] the Johannesburg Film Festival,[27] and at the Africa Film Festival in Cologne/Germany,[28] and nominated for a Rapid Lion Award.
In 2016, Austen-Peters directed the musical Wakaa, which tells the story of the trials, successes and experiences of a group of graduate students.[34] It was the first Nigerian musical to be staged in London’s West End, and recorded sold out shows at the Shaw theatre in London.[35]
In 2017, Austen-Peters directed the musical Fela and The Kalakuta Queens.[36][37] It chronicles the life of the Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, and the women that were an integral part of his band. It was produced and created with the support of Fela Kuti’s estate. It was shown in Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa. The musical is one of the biggest to come out of Africa with over 120,000 people having watched it.[38]
In 2019, Austen-Peters directed the film Bling Lagosians which highlights the individual feuds within a wealthy Lagos family.[39][40] It was nominated for two awards including Best Art Director, Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards. It starred Nollywood actors and actresses including Gbenga Titiloye, Elvina Ibru, Osas Ighodaro, Toyin Abraham, Jide Kosoko, Sharon Ooja, Bisola Aiyeola, Denola Grey, Monalisa Chinda, Helen Paul and Alex Ekubo.
In the same year, she also directed the musical ‘Man Enough’ which is a monologue in three voices; a man crying to be heard, a man yelling to be saved from a world that thinks he is ‘Superman’ and a man fearing to speak. It is a story of a man proving his worth and when he is man enough.[41]
In 2020, Austen-Peters directed the movie Collision Course which tells the story of the lives of a law enforcement agent and an aspiring musician in Nigeria.[42] It was shown on Netflix and won Best Movie (West Africa) at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and was nominated for four awards including Best Film, Africa International Film Festival AFRIFF (2021), Best Performance in a Film, AFRIFF (2021), Best Performance in a Film, AMA (2021). It starred Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha, Ade Laoye, Kenneth Okolie, Daniel Etim Effiong, Bimbo Manuel, Gregory Ojefua, Bamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan, Kalu Ikeagwu and Nobert Young.
In 2021, Austen-Peters directed the movie Man of God (2022 film) which tells the story of a man who is caught between religion, expectations and his own belief.[43] The movie was produced for Netflix and became the most viewed movie of the month.[44][45] It stars the actors Akah Nnani, Osas Ighodaro, Prince Nelson Enwerem, Dorcas Shola Fapson, Atlanta Bridget Johnson, Patrick Doyle, Jude Chukwuka, Eucharia Anunobi, Shawn Faqua, Mawuli Gavor and Olumide Oworu.
In 2022, Austen-Peters directed the movie Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti which tells the story of Funmilayo; from her pioneering days as the first female student at Abeokuta Grammar School to her marriage to Israel Ransome-Kuti.[46] The movie the won ‘Best Overall Feature Film’ and the ‘Best Screenplay’ awards.[47][48] The film features movie stars like Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole, Ibrahim Suleiman, Jide Kosoko, and Dele Odule. The movie is also known as the "All time highest grossing biopic in West Africa".[6]
In 2023, Austen-Peters directed the movie, House of GA'A[49] which tells the story of a ruthless Prime Minister desperate for revenge ferociously rises to power, stopping at nothing to become more powerful than the kings he served. In the first week of its release, the movie made it to Top 10 Global Chart for Non-English Films [7]
