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Funa Maduka

@funamentals

10.6K

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1818

following

filmmaker 🪐
mgmt @42__mp
founder @palmtrees.dev

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PANEL ANNOUNCEMENT: From Culture to Commerce: Africa’s Global Entertainment Boom 🎬🎶🌍

African entertainment is reaching audiences around the world. The next conversation is about the business being built around that cultural influence.

At Africa Ahead, Funa Maduka, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Palmtrees and former Netflix executive; Moses Babatope, CEO of The Nile Media Entertainment Group; and Seun Babalola, Vice President of Touring, Sub-Saharan Africa at Live Nation, will explore how African film, music and live entertainment are scaling into global businesses.

From distribution and touring to audience growth, ownership and monetization, this panel looks at what happens when culture becomes commerce, and how African creators and companies can capture more of the value they generate.

📅 September 26, 2026
📍 Columbia Business School
🎟️ Tickets at the link in bio.

#ColumbiaAfricaConference #AfricaAhead #AfricanEntertainment #AfricanFilm #AfricanMusic #AfricaBusiness

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That’s a wrap on the TIFF Directors Lab - what a wild and special week in Toronto! Honored to have been included and grateful to have a whole new crew of the loveliest filmmaker friends!

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My Best Friend's Bridal Shower

Part 1

Nkechi Igwe is a single beautiful young upwardly mobile investment banker based in New York City and shares an office with her close associate and friend, Lucy Hayes, a young Caucasian feminist who is a real estate broker and is also single.

They are making reservations for their summer vacation in the Bahamas when Lola Adejumo, Nkechi's best friend in Nigeria from nursery school to secondary school calls to inform her that she getting married and wants Nkechi to come to Lagos city to help her organize her bridal shower. Nkechi is happy to hear the good news and excited to organize the bridal shower. She tells Lucy that she has to postpone going to the Bahamas, because she is going to Nigeria for her best friend's bridal shower. Lucy says she will accompany her, because she cannot go to the Bahamas without Nkechi.

So, they postpone their reservations for the Bahamas and leave for Nigeria.

They arrive at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos and get an Uber taxi cab to take them to one of the best five star hotels in the city. Lucy says the hotel must be close to the beach. The Uber driver, a very handsome young man recommends Eko Hotel on Victoria Island. Lucy becomes friendly with the driver who says his name is Ubadike Chukwuemeka.

###
Read the complete romantic comedy by special order.
US$1 only.
Email: ekenyerengozimichaelchima@gmail.com

#bridalshower
#bridesmaids
#chiefbridesmaid
#Wedding
#marriage

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Apply by June 1 for the inaugural screenplay incubator from @palmtrees.dev, founded by @funamentals, welcoming writers from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia, the Caribbean and Oceania.

Open to writers at every stage of their career, whether this is your first or sixth screenplay, the incubator seeks applicants who are driven by curiosity and rigor.

Selected fellows engage in one-on-one development with story analysts over nine months, followed by a three-week in-person Retreat and includes a first-look opportunity from palmtree’s partner, NEON.

palmtrees and its founder, Funa Maduka are remarkable members of the Oxbelly community - generously engaging with our fellows with such mission-aligned values and expertise and partnering with Oxbelly on the 2025 edition of the Retreat.

We hold deep respect for palmtrees’ thoughtful, form-driven approach to storytelling, their commitment to discipline and depth, and their dedication to protecting the DNA of each story.

Apply by June 1 for this incredible opportunity!

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A new international opportunity is opening for emerging and established screenwriters across the Global South. Palmtrees (@palmtrees.dev) a screenplay development incubator, has announced a development partnership with NEON (@neonrated) for its inaugural cohort.

The program is designed to support writers from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Oceania. Between eight and ten writers will be selected to participate in the first edition of the incubator.

Applicants are required to submit a treatment alongside the first 15 pages of a feature-length genre screenplay.

Palmtrees was founded by Funa Maduka (@funamentals) a former executive at Netflix.

👉🏽 Click the link in bio (www.jaylit.com) to read the full submission guidelines and eligibility criteria.

Application deadline: 1 June 2026
Best of luck to all applicants!

Like ❤ | Comment 💬 | Share ✨ | Follow ☑ @jay_literature for more African literary content and opportunities.

#jaylit #africanliterature #opensubmissions #africanwriters

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On the strength of her years at Netflix shaping international film strategy, the film executive, @funamentals Funa Maduka, keeps her focus on stronger scripts as a way to elevate underreprésented voices in global cinema.
She graces our cover today.

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☕️A new pipeline just opened for screenwriters.

@palmtrees.dev, founded by @funamentals, is partnering with Neon, the studio behind Parasite and Anora, to back early stage writers across Africa, the Middle East, and more.

Selected writers get development funding, mentorship, and a three week residency, plus compensation at a stage where creatives are usually expected to work for free.

Most stories never make it past this stage, and that is exactly where this bet is being placed.

Applications are open now. Deadline is June 1.

🔗 Read more via LNK in bio

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We’re excited to announce NEON as our development partner for the inaugural cohort. What does this mean? It means every writer accepted will have key touch-points with NEON executives throughout the incubation period. NEON also has an exclusive first look window at the end of the incubator. While nothing is guaranteed, our goal is to get projects over the line- which is why we’re bringing our partner on board early to develop alongside us. Applications are open! We look forward to hearing from writers across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Oceania and the Caribbean. 🌴 #linkinbio

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palmtrees Announces Development Partnership with NEON for Inaugural Screenplay Incubator

palmtrees, a screenplay development incubator for writers from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Oceania, has partnered with NEON for its first cohort.

Between 8 and 10 writers will be selected for the program. Applicants submit a treatment and the first 15 pages of a feature-length genre screenplay.

Selected writers develop their scripts through one-on-one work with dedicated story analysts, are compensated throughout, and conclude the program with a three-week in-person residency.

The incubator is open to writers at every stage of their career. Selection is based on the strength of the project and the writer's voice; prior credits are neither an advantage nor a requirement.

Applications opened March 31, 2026, at palmtrees.dev. The submission deadline is June 1, 2026.

palmtrees was founded by Funa Maduka, who spent six years leading international original films at Netflix, where she built the company's first international film slate and oversaw the acquisition and development of titles including "Happy as Lazzaro," "Roma," "Divines," "I Lost My Body" and "Atlantics." Maduka is also a filmmaker; she is credited with directing and producing the first Nigerian film to world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

NEON was founded by Tom Quinn.

Go to palmtrees.dev for all the details.

#palmtrees #ScreenwritersOfTheWorld #GlobalGenre #WriteYourWorld

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창의성/Creativity captured through @polaroid 🌹
1. @funamentals
2. @helena_dong
3. @alenajaffeking
4. @haeindorin

📷: @giaxseo @deptof_ny 🩵💡
Hair & Makeup: @yuuivision ❤️

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@uniformed_world 창의성/CREATIVITY brought together NYC creatives from across fashion, film, design, literature and art. I have been wanting to do this photoshoot since the line started so this team & the friends who took the time to join us will always be 1st ❤️🖤.
Each Creative wore a look from the collection and shared a personal object tied to their craft. Together, these portraits captured the meaningfulness of creativity - not just in what we wear, but in the stories and memories that unified us. Everyone contributed their time, energy, and personal stories to make this concept come together so we are forever grateful to the Talents and the Team.

📷 : @hyeonwoolee
📷 Assistant: @sangwoo_suh
📷 Assistant: @dainjlee
Creative Direction/BTS: @giaxseo @deptof_ny
Beauty Stylist: @yuuivision
Lookbook Design: @splusinc

#uniformed #fall2025 #creatives #nyc #photoshoot

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Extremely blessed to be surrounded by incredible women everywhere I look 💪💪💪

For @uniformed_world look book / campaign. 창의성/CREATIVITY brings together NYC visionaries from across fashion, film, design, literature and art. Each Creative wears a look from the collection and shares a personal object tied to their craft. Together, these portraits capture the meaningfulness of creativity - not just in what we wear, but in the stories and memories that unified us. Everyone contributed their time, energy, and personal stories so we are forever grateful to the Talents and the Team.

📷 : @hyeonwoolee
📷 Assistant: @sangwoo_suh
📷 Assistant: @dainjlee
Creative Direction/Polaroids: @giaxseo @deptof_ny
Beauty Stylist: @yuuivision
Lookbook Design: @splusinc

#uniformed #fall2025 #creatives #nyc #photoshoot

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