Femi Odugbemi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zuri24 Media Limited, has earned a distinguished appointment to the Film Jury of the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, positioning the Nigerian filmmaker at the centre of global conversations shaping cinematic excellence and creative storytelling standards.

With this selection, Odugbemi steps into one of the festival’s most respected judging panels, where he will help evaluate some of the world’s most influential screen narratives.

At the same time, his inclusion reinforces Africa’s expanding voice within international creative leadership circles and signals continued recognition of Nigerian storytelling on the global stage.

Scheduled to hold from June 22 to 26 in Cannes, France, the festival will convene leading creatives from across continents to define the benchmarks for innovation and originality across industries.

However, Odugbemi’s presence in the Film category stands out as a particularly strong endorsement of his decades long contribution to film, television, and documentary storytelling.

Importantly, his appointment did not emerge in isolation. Instead, it builds on a sustained record of leadership across both African and global creative institutions.

Two years ago, the Pitcher Awards named him Entertainment Jury President for its 2024 edition, recognising his role in shaping creative excellence across the continent’s storytelling ecosystem. That responsibility further strengthened his reputation as a trusted evaluator of creative originality and narrative impact.

The Pitcher Festival organisers described him as a multifaceted creative force whose work consistently stretches the boundaries of African screen storytelling. Beyond directing and producing, they also highlighted his long standing influence as a writer and television architect whose productions helped redefine the scale and ambition of Nigerian television drama.

Notably, Odugbemi remains one of the rare African creatives elected as a voting member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

This dual membership continues to underline his credibility within global film and television institutions and strengthens his voice in international jury deliberations such as Cannes Lions.

Across his production career, he helped shape some of Sub Saharan Africa’s most widely recognised television drama properties. For example, he served as founding content producer of Tinsel, Nigeria’s pioneering multi camera studio daily drama, which has exceeded 3,500 episodes and remains one of the longest running scripted television programmes on the continent.

In addition, he produced titles such as Battleground, Brethren, Movement: Japa and the political drama Covenant, each contributing to the evolving language of African television storytelling.

Similarly, his feature film portfolio demonstrates remarkable range. From Maroko to Gidi Blues, 4th Estate and Code Wilo, he consistently expanded the thematic and technical boundaries of local cinema. More recently, he produced The Man Died, inspired by the work of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, further strengthening his contribution to historically grounded storytelling.

Equally important, his documentary catalogue continues to shape conversations around culture, heritage, governance, and identity. Titles such as Ibadan: Cradle of Literati, Makoko: Futures Afloat and Unmasked: Leadership, Trust and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria demonstrate how he consistently combines cinematic craft with social reflection.

Beyond production achievements, Odugbemi continues to shape the institutional development of Africa’s creative sector. He previously served as President of the Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria and also contributes as a board member of the Committee for Relevant Arts.

In addition, he co founded the iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival, a platform widely recognised for amplifying African documentary voices through its “Africa in self conversation” philosophy.

His mentorship footprint remains equally visible. As pioneer Academy Director of the MultiChoice Talent Factory in West Africa between 2018 and 2022, he helped train emerging filmmakers who are now contributing to the continent’s expanding content economy.

Through that role and several continental teaching engagements, he strengthened the pipeline of new African storytellers entering the industry.

Interestingly, his advocacy extends beyond filmmaking into marketing communication and brand storytelling. He continues to encourage organisations to embrace immersive storytelling rooted in culture rather than rely solely on slogans or metrics.

According to him, authentic narratives built on African sound, language, memory and imagination can reshape audience relationships and create what he describes as “cultural ownership,” where audiences do not simply consume stories but carry them forward.

Furthermore, he has repeatedly urged storytellers and media professionals to prioritise archiving as a strategic responsibility. By encouraging photojournalists and content creators to leverage digital storage and documentation tools, he emphasises that preserving visual history remains essential for understanding national identity and shaping future narratives.

He has also drawn attention to how smartphones and artificial intelligence now expand creative participation across society. In his view, access to storytelling tools is no longer the primary challenge.

Instead, defining representation, strengthening cultural confidence, and elevating meaningful narratives have become the central responsibilities of today’s creators.

Meanwhile, organisers of the 2026 Cannes Lions Awards explained that this year’s jury structure reflects a deliberate effort to widen geographic representation across Africa, the Pacific region, the Middle East and Latin America.

Consequently, the selection of Odugbemi reinforces the growing recognition of African expertise within global judging panels responsible for defining creative excellence across industries.

With this, his appointment to the Film Jury not only strengthens Nigeria’s visibility within global storytelling institutions but also highlights the continued rise of African creative leadership within the world’s most influential cultural platforms.