Benneth Nwankwo: From Surveying to Filmmaking

Benneth Nwankwo's path to filmmaking is a testament to a passion for storytelling that transcended his academic background in Surveying and Geoinformatics. While his formal education honed his discipline, analytical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, it was his innate drive to tell stories that guided his career trajectory.

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Although my academic training was in a completely different field, it taught me discipline, analytical thinking, attention to detail, and problem-solving. Those skills have proven valuable in my journey as a filmmaker and entrepreneur.

His creative journey began with writing for blogs and participating in short story competitions, sharpening his narrative skills. This evolved into documentary photography, with some of his works featured in journals like Brittle Papers. Nwankwo's commitment to visual storytelling culminated in organizing 'Akaraka: Anambra Through A Lens,' the inaugural indigenous photo exhibition in his home state, aiming to celebrate local narratives. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted plans for making it a recurring event.

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My journey into visual storytelling began as a writer. I wrote for blogs and participated in several short story competitions, which helped me develop my storytelling skills.

Filmmaking remained Nwankwo's ultimate ambition. He teamed up with a friend in 2020 to produce short films, and by 2021, their work began gaining festival recognition. This success spurred him to found BN MEDIA FILMS, a production company behind projects such as 'Class of Secrets' and 'I Killed Chief Adeleke,' which was a finalist in the StarTimes African Short Film Competition 2022.

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Even while I was writing and taking photographs, filmmaking was always the bigger dream. As a writer, I naturally visualised my stories on screen.

Despite his growing success, Nwankwo encountered significant challenges common to independent filmmakers, including restricted access to funding, equipment, and distribution channels. Building credibility in an industry often driven by established connections also proved difficult. Early productions were financed through personal savings and support from family and friends. A particularly disheartening experience involved his first YouTube film, 'My Story,' which addressed police brutality but did not achieve the expected audience reach, teaching him that success is not always immediate.

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Like many independent filmmakers, one of my biggest challenges was limited access to funding, equipment, and distribution opportunities. Building credibility was also difficult because the industry can be highly relationship-driven, especially for someone starting without established connections.