Why ‘Black Market’ is going for Guinness World Record — Omowunmi Dada

Actress, Omowunmi Dada, has explained why the team behind the forthcoming film, ‘Black Market’, opted for a Guinness World Record attempt instead of a conventional premiere.

Directed by Fatimah Binta-Gimsay, the movie tells the story of five women involved in a cross-border smuggling operation amid fuel scarcity, whose lives take a dramatic turn after one of their daughters is kidnapped.

The film stars Dada alongside Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok and Uzor Arukwe, among others.

The producers are set to hold a screening at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, on September 26, as they attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening in a single location.

Dada, who also serves as an executive producer on the project, said the idea was to create an experience that would go beyond a traditional film premiere and make a broader cultural statement.

She said, “We just thought, instead of the regular ‘take your film to the cinema’, let’s do something more iconic with it, something that goes beyond Nollywood, something that is a cultural statement, not just for Lagos, not just for Nigerian creatives, but for young people and Nigerians as a whole.

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“We thought, as filmmakers, the best way to put Nigeria on the global map would be through our craft, and that was why we decided to do this, to go for a Guinness World Record attempt with our film.”

Reflecting on the production journey, Dada described the process as stressful but rewarding, revealing that the record attempt had been part of the plan from the early stages of the project.

“The journey so far has been stressful. Right from when we were writing, way before casting or going on set, we knew this was exactly what we wanted to do. We had even locked down TBS before we went into principal photography.

“From the writing and back and forth, making sure we get the best script, to pre-production itself and bringing actors on board, it’s been such a tough journey, but it’s been a very beautiful one. Thanks to the team that we have, all the cast and crew. We are grateful to Nigerians and everyone who has been supporting us.”

Dada also expressed confidence that the story would resonate with Nigerian audiences, while noting that the experience surrounding the screening would be as significant as the film itself.

She said, “The story will resonate with Nigerians. They will love, laugh, maybe cry as well. They will have a great time watching the film. But beyond the film, the whole experience will be an unforgettable one.”