Tope Oshin is a multi-award-winning Nigerian television and film director, producer, casting director, and consultant. She is also the founder and CEO of Sunbow Productions.
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Tope Oshin Background
Temitope Aina Oshin was born on the 10th of June 1979, to Mr and Mrs Oshin in Lagos State, Nigeria. Growing up, Tope intended to be a painter and engaged in drawing, singing, and dancing. She had her secondary education at the Girls High School, Agege, Lagos, and Iganmode Grammar School, Ota, Ogun State.
After her secondary education, she went on to study Economics at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. But didn’t conclude, as she left the course to study Public Administration. She also left Public Administration for Theatre Arts, TV, and Film Production at the Lagos State University.
After obtaining her B.A degree, she went for a short training on acting techniques, visual and performing arts at Itpan Training School, Gbagada, Lagos.
She eventually got more interested in filmmaking, so she went to study Film Production and Cinematography at the Colorado Film School of Aurora, Denver, CO, USA. She also studied Cinematography at Met Film School.
Tope Oshin is an alumna of Talents Durban, South Africa, and Berlinale Talents, Berlin, Germany. She was once married to Yinka Ogun and is blessed with four children.
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Tope Oshin Career
She commenced her career in 2005 with R & M media, as an actress. In 2007, she became an Assistant Director at 341 Media but left to Ark Resources Entertainment the same year. She left Ark Resources to Storm Media Group as an Associate Producer/Assistant Director in 2008.
Tope Oshin commenced her career as a producer in 2009, with Inspire Africa Productions. She left to M-Net in 2010, and functioned in the capacity of Box and Content Producer/Director, until 2013, when she left for EbonyLifeTv.
At EbonyLifeTv, she worked as the Acting Head of Drama and later became the Project Manager/Supervising Producer of the company.
Thus far, Tope Oshin has produced, directed, and written several award-winning movies. She is also one of the jurors for the International Emmy Award. Tope Oshin is the CEO of Sunbow Productions Limited.
Sunbow Productions Limited
Sunbow Productions Ltd. is a full-service motion picture production company established by Tope Oshin in 2011. The company provides audiovisual content and production services for reality shows, radio dramas, TV dramas, features, short length films, TV commercials, radio commercials, corporate videos, etc.
Sunbow is also a casting solution and talent supply agency. The company handled the auditions and casting for MTV Shuga Seasons 3, 4 and 6, Taste of Love, Walking with Shadows, Rush, Hush, Ojos in d’house, The Governor, Battleground, e.t.c.
The company’s clients include MTV Staying Alive Foundation, EbonylifeTV, Nooce Thematics, Ark Resources, EbonyLife Films, Ascend Studios, Out of Africa, Abdu Simba Productions, e.t.c.
Filmography
Feature Films
- Journey to Self (As a Director) – 2012
- Fifty (As a Producer) – 2015
- The Wedding Party 2 (As a Producer) – 2017
- InLine (As a Director) – 2017
- New Money (As a Director) – 2018
- Up North (As a Director) – 2018
- We Don’t Live Here Anymore (As a Director and Producer) – 2018
Short Films
- The Young Smoker (As a Director and Producer) – 2011
- Till Death Do Us Part (As a Director and Producer) – 2013
- New Horizons (As a Director and Producer) – 2013
- Crush (As a Director, Producer, Editor, and Writer) – 2014
- Ireti (As a Director, Producer, and Writer) – 2015
Television
- Tinsel (TV series and Soap Opera, Seasons 2-5. As a Director, Box/Content Producer) – 2009 – 2012
- Moments With Mo (Talk Show, As a Producer) – 2009
- Bridges (Drama Series, Season 1, As a Director) – 2012
- Love and War (TV Movie, As a Director, Producer, and Casting Director) – 2013
- Conversations At Dinner (TV Movie, As a Director, Producer, and Casting Director) – 2013
- Walk The Talk (Talk Show, Season 1, As a Director, and Producer) – 2014
- Hotel Majestic (Tele-Novella, As a Director) – 2015
- Hush (Tele-Novella, As a Director) – 2016
- EvoL (TV Feature, As a Director, Producer, Casting Director, and Writer) – 2016
- GidiUp 3 (Drama Series, As a Director) – 2016
- Ever After (TV Feature, As a Director, Producer, Casting Director, and Writer) – 2017
- BattleGround (Tele-Novella, Pre-Production, as a Content Director/Consultant) – 2017
- MTV Shuga Season 6 (As a Director, and Casting Director) – 2018
- MTV Shuga Naija Season 4. She functioned as the ShowRunner, Lead Director, Producer, Casting Director, and Executive Producer – 2019
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Documentaries
- Amaka’s Kin – The Women of Nollywood. (As a Director, Producer, and Writer) – 2016
- Nigeria: Shooting It Like a Woman. (As a Presenter) – 2017
Tope Oshin Quotes
“My personal journey as a filmmaker is quite an unusual one. Born an artist, I have always sought expression for the creativity in me. The yearning to create and bring my imaginations to reality pushes me further.”
“Each part of my artistic journey led me here. I didn’t stop, I don’t stop, and I won’t stop.”
“I see a boundless future for any producer — male or female. If you have a story to tell, go ahead and find ways to tell it.”
“In Nigeria, any female director can rise up as a director, put together a crew and tell their stories without facing discrimination or sexism on the job.”
“We want the world to see Northern Nigeria as the beautifully breathtaking place it is, and the warmth of its people. The world should see that not all of the north is war-torn, and ridden by terrorism. We want the world to see that Nigeria is a beautiful place.”
“The greatest pleasure of motherhood for me is the sure, pure, undiluted love of my children.”
“My advice to women, who have problems with male colleagues taking them seriously at work or in a male-dominated field as mine, is to do what I do: ignore, pretend they don’t exist and just throw yourself into your work and do a damn good job of it. Due respect and regard will automatically follow.”
“Do not rush into marriage. Take your time and make sure he’s your friend, he respects you, he’s responsible and above all, he reverences God.”
Tope Oshin Awards
2011 – 2015
- Best Directing at The Audi Visual Awards (TAVA) Lagos – 2011
- Audience Prize at the In-short film festival, Lagos – 2011
- Special Jury Mention at the In-short film festival, Lagos – 2011
- Best Director at the In-short film festival – 2012
- In-short film festival honoured her with the award of Best Film – 2012
- Best Short Film at the Abuja International Film Festival – 2012
- Slum Film Festival named the Young Smoker as Best Narrative Film – 2013
- Best Movie with a social message at the Best of Nollywood Awards – 2013
- Special Jury Award at the Africa Movie Academy Awards – 2014
- Teens Favorite TV and Film Producer at the Teens Favorite Awards, Nigeria – 2014
- Golden Short Award at the Golden Movie Awards Africa – 2015
- African Woman in Film Award by the African Women Development Fund – 2015
2016 – 2018
- Best Documentary at the Best of Nollywood Awards – 2016
- Women’s Only Entertainment Film Festival named her the Best International Female Director – 2016
- Best International Short Film at the Women’s Only Entertainment Film Festival – 2016
- At the Nigerian Broadcast Media Awards, she was named Best TV Program Director – 2016
- Distinguished Alumni Medal of Honor at the In-short film festival – 2016
- Director of The Year at the Lagos Entertainment Awards – 2016
- Best Director of the Year at the City People Entertainment Awards – 2017
- OkayAfrica named her as one of the Okay 100Women honoree – 2017
- Director of the Year at the Ebonylife TV Sisterhood Awards – 2017
- Excellence in the Creative Industries at the Sisi Oge Awards – 2018
- Best Director of the Year at the Best of Nollywood Awards – 2018
- At the Best of Nollywood Awards, We Don’t Live Here Anymore was named Best Movie of the Year – 2018
Nominations
2011 – 2013
- Nominated for Best Director at the In-short film festival, Lagos, Nigeria – 2011
- Best Film nominee at the In-short film festival, Lagos, Nigeria – 2011
- Most Outstanding Short Film nomination at the Audi Visual Awards (TAVA) – 2012
- Nominated for Most Outstanding Short Film at the Audi Visual Awards (TAVA) – 2012
- Best Short Film Award nomination at the Africa Movie Academy Awards – 2012
- Outstanding Film in Directing nominee at the Abuja International Film Festival – 2012
- Best Director nominee at the Zulu African Academy Awards (ZAFAA) – 2013
- Nominated for the Best Director at the Nollywood Movies Awards (NMA) – 2013
- Best Movie nominee at the Nollywood Movies Awards (NMA) – 2013
- Nominated Till Death Do Us Part for Best Short Film at the Nollywood Movies Awards (NMA) – 2013
2014 – 2019
- Best Program Director nominee at the Nigerian Broadcast & Media Awards (NBMA) – 2014
- Nominated New Horizons for Best TV Drama at the Nigerian Broadcast & Media Awards (NBMA) – 2014
- Best Director nominee at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA) – 2014
- New Horizons was nominated for Best Short Film at the Best of Nollywood Awards (BON) – 2014
- Filmmaker of the year nominee at the Divas Award – 2016
- Creative Personae of the year nominee at the Nigerian Creatives Award – 2016
- Best Producer of the year nominee at the Exquisite Lady of the Year Awards (ELOY) – 2016
- Nominated Ireti for Best Short Film Award at the Abuja Int’l Film Festival – 2016
- Ireti was nominated for Best Short Film at the Africa Movie Academy Awards – 2016
- Golden Short Award nominee at the Golden Movie Awards Africa – 2016
- Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards nominee for Best Documentary – 2017
- Nominated Ireti for Best Short Film at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards – 2017
- Best Screenplay of the Year nominee at the Best of Nollywood Awards (BON) – 2018
- Up North was nominated as the Best Nigerian Film at the Africa Movie Academy Awards – 2019
Entrepreneurial Lessons
Nothing Can Hold You Back – Believe In Yourself
Tope Oshin is a woman who is thriving in a career dominated by men. She faced difficulties as a female, but she believed in herself and focused on being the best at her job. Today, she is one of the best producers and directors there is in the industry. Not just that, she is an inspiration to many.
As an entrepreneur, if you believe in yourself, no challenge or difficult situation would hold you back. You would always see an opportunity in every situation.
Don’t Ever Feel Ashamed To Start Over
Tope Oshin changed her course at the University twice until she finally found her passion; theatre arts. Never be ashamed to start over or tweak things when they’re not working. Because, your journey to success and fulfillment begins when you find your true passion.
Image Credit: Tope Oshin – Facebook
