DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Canon is deepening its creative collaboration with Nigerian filmmaker and cinematographer Nora Awolowo with Black Market, an upcoming Nollywood feature shot entirely on the company’s EOS C400 Cinema EOS camera.
Produced by Rixel Studios and directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay, the film is scheduled for a one-night screening on Sept. 26 at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.
The production marks the latest collaboration between Canon Central and North Africa and Awolowo, following Racket Queen, a 2025 short film that was also shot entirely on the EOS C400.
Canon said the partnership reflects its efforts to support African filmmakers by pairing professional imaging technology with local creative talent and production experience.
“Every film asks something different of you as a cinematographer,” Awolowo, who served as producer and director of photography on Black Market, said. “With Black Market, we were creating a world that needed to feel immediate, textured and unmistakably Nigerian, while still giving the story the cinematic scale it deserved.”
Awolowo said the EOS C400 provided flexibility across different locations, lighting conditions and production demands.
“Having worked with Canon before, there is also a level of trust in the relationship,” she said. “It is not simply about having a camera on set; it is about having the freedom and confidence to concentrate on the story.”
The EOS C400 is a full-frame Cinema EOS camera featuring a 6K back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor, Triple Base ISO and a compact body designed for professional cinema and video production. It supports 6K RAW recording, oversampled 4K recording and Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system.
For Black Market, Canon said the technology was intended to give the production team flexibility in capturing the film’s locations, characters and atmosphere rather than serve simply as a showcase for camera specifications.
The collaboration comes as Nigerian filmmakers continue to expand the technical and visual ambitions of Nollywood, combining the industry’s established storytelling and production culture with developments in cinematography and filmmaking technology.
Rashad Ghani, B2C business unit director at Canon Central and North Africa, said the company’s relationship with Awolowo illustrates its approach to developing longer-term relationships with filmmakers.
“Black Market is a powerful example of what becomes possible when creative ambition and the right technology come together,” Ghani said. “Technology matters when it gives filmmakers greater freedom to represent their own world, their own people and their own stories with the quality and authenticity they envision.”
Ghani said Canon’s collaboration with Awolowo had grown from one project to another and reflected the company’s broader ambitions in Africa.
“Our relationship with Nora has grown from one project to the next, and that is exactly the kind of collaboration we want to build across Africa — long-term relationships where Canon listens to creators, supports their craft and gives their ambition room to grow,” he said.
Black Market features an ensemble cast led by Lateef Adedimeji and Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, alongside other Nigerian screen talent.
The film’s Sept. 26 screening in Lagos will mark its public presentation following the production, with Canon’s EOS C400 providing the principal camera platform behind the feature.
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