Asurf Oluseyi is a Nigerian filmmaker, director, producer and editor whose career demonstrates how digital learning can develop into professional filmmaking. He built his skills outside the traditional film-school route and later established Asurf Films, an independent production company involved in film and video production. His work includes A Day with Death, Hell or High Water, Hakkunde, Kasanova, 3 Cold Dishes and the 2026 film Iyaloja.
His career has also crossed several sides of the Nigerian entertainment industry. He has worked on short films, feature films, music videos, television content and commercial productions. Over time, Asurf moved from learning production techniques independently to directing films that travelled beyond Nigeria and received recognition at international festivals and major Nigerian awards.
Who Is Asurf Oluseyi?
Asurf Oluseyi, also known professionally as Oluseyi Asurf Amuwa, is a Nigerian filmmaker known for working behind the camera. His professional credits include directing, producing, editing and other production responsibilities.
Unlike filmmakers whose careers began through conventional film-school systems, Asurf has often been identified with self-directed learning. His biographical profile states that he learned filmmaking by watching online tutorials and practising with training materials while developing his craft in Lagos. His LinkedIn profile also lists The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied from 2004 to 2006.
That background is important to understanding his career. Asurf represents a generation of Nigerian filmmakers who used the internet not only for exposure but also as a practical classroom.
His story therefore extends beyond individual films. It illustrates how accessible digital knowledge can help a young creative develop technical skills and eventually build a professional production business.
Asurf Oluseyi’s Education and Early Career
Asurf studied at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, between 2004 and 2006. Public professional information also identifies him as a self-taught filmmaker who developed his production skills through online learning and practical experimentation.
His early development covered several areas of production rather than one narrow discipline. He became involved in directing, editing and producing video content, gaining experience across different forms of entertainment and commercial work.
This broad technical foundation later became one of the defining features of his career. Instead of approaching filmmaking solely from the perspective of directing actors, Asurf developed an understanding of several stages of production.
He has also trained other people in filmmaking and editing. His work eventually expanded into the establishment of Asurf Films, which describes itself as a production company focused on African stories for audiences in Nigeria and beyond.
How Asurf Oluseyi Built His Filmmaking Career
Asurf’s career developed during a period when digital video production was becoming increasingly accessible in Nigeria. The growth of online platforms created opportunities for filmmakers to produce, distribute and promote content outside traditional television structures.
He took advantage of that environment by producing and directing a large volume of video content. His professional biography credits him with work across Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States, with content appearing on television, cable channels, websites and streaming platforms.
Music videos and other entertainment productions also formed part of his early professional experience. His work therefore developed through practical production rather than depending on one breakthrough film.
That experience became useful when he began moving more strongly into narrative filmmaking.
Asurf Oluseyi’s Short Films
One of the important stages in Asurf’s development was his work on short films.
A Day with Death became a significant early project. The film received multiple international selections and won Best Short Film at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. Asurf served as producer and director.
He also produced and directed Hell or High Water. The short film won Best Short Film at the International Film Awards Berlin in 2016 and received several international selections.
These projects were important because they demonstrated that Asurf could take his technical experience into narrative storytelling. They also gave him a platform for international exposure before his feature-film career became more prominent.
Hakkunde and Asurf Oluseyi’s Breakthrough as a Feature Filmmaker
Asurf’s first major feature film was Hakkunde, released in 2017.
The film follows Akande, a university graduate struggling with unemployment and personal identity. After relocating from Lagos to Kaduna in search of opportunity, he faces a different set of challenges and must reconsider what success means to him. Frank Donga played the lead role, while Rahama Sadau, Maryam Booth and other Nigerian actors joined the cast.
Hakkunde became one of the defining films of Asurf’s career.
The film received international recognition and was associated with screenings and selections outside Nigeria. It also won Best Nigerian Film at the African International Film Festival according to Asurf’s professional biography. The film later represented Nigeria at the 50th anniversary edition of FESPACO in Burkina Faso.
The project also earned recognition at the Africa Movie Academy Awards. Its screenplay won the Best Screenplay category at the 2018 awards.
For Asurf, Hakkunde established that an independent Nigerian filmmaker could create a feature film that addressed everyday social realities while also travelling through international festival circuits.
Asurf Oluseyi Movies and Filmography
Asurf’s filmography includes both directing and production credits. Some of his notable works include:
- A Day with Death (2014), short film
- Hell or High Water (2016), short film
- Elephant in the Room (2016), director
- Hakkunde (2017), director and producer
- Kasanova (2019), director
- Walking with Shadows (2019), production credit
- 3 Cold Dishes (2025), director and producer
- Iyaloja (2026), director
The list is not exhaustive because Asurf has worked on numerous other video and production projects. His credits extend beyond feature films into editing, music videos and other forms of screen content.
Kasanova and Continued Nollywood Work
After Hakkunde, Asurf directed Kasanova, a 2019 Nigerian romantic comedy.
The film starred Wale Ojo, Iretiola Doyle and Toyin Abraham. It was written by Tomi Adesina, Ugochukwu Israel and Asurf and was produced by Eddy Young. The movie premiered in Lagos in September 2019.
Kasanova showed another side of his filmmaking. While Hakkunde focused strongly on employment, identity and social pressure, Kasanova moved into romantic comedy and mainstream entertainment.
This shift demonstrates that Asurf’s career has not been restricted to one genre.
3 Cold Dishes and Asurf Oluseyi’s Pan-African Direction
A major recent development in Asurf’s career is 3 Cold Dishes, a Pan-African crime thriller released theatrically in November 2025.
The film follows three women who survived human trafficking and later reunite to pursue revenge against men connected to their exploitation. The production crosses several West African locations and features an international cast that includes Osas Ighodaro, Wale Ojo, Femi Jacobs and actors from across the continent. Asurf served as director and producer.
The film also received significant recognition during the 2025 awards and festival cycle. It won the Best Nigerian Film award at the 2025 Africa Movie Academy Awards and received several nominations. At the 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Asurf was nominated for Best Director for 3 Cold Dishes.
This project represents an important stage in his career because it places his filmmaking within a broader African production environment rather than limiting his work to a strictly Nigerian setting.
Iyaloja and Asurf Oluseyi in 2026
In 2026, Asurf continued directing Nigerian feature films with Iyaloja.
The drama centres on a struggle for leadership among market women in Isale-Eko after the death of an influential matriarch. Its cast includes established Nigerian actors such as Fathia Balogun, Iyabo Ojo, Tina Mba, Ngozi Nwosu, Kehinde Bankole and Wale Ojo. Asurf directed the film, while Chris Odeh and Joy Odiete received producer credits.
Iyaloja was released in Nigerian cinemas on May 29, 2026. Its setting gives the film a strong connection to Lagos culture and the social structures surrounding traditional market communities.
The project adds another dimension to Asurf’s filmography because it places a culturally specific Nigerian community at the centre of a feature narrative.
Asurf Films and His Work Behind the Camera
Asurf Films has become an important part of Asurf’s professional identity.
The company describes its mission around creating African films and series that connect with audiences locally and internationally. Asurf is listed as its founder and director.
This is significant because Asurf’s career is not limited to personal directing credits. He has developed a production structure through which other filmmakers, editors, producers and creative professionals can participate in screen projects.
His experience also allows him to operate across several technical areas. Public film credits identify him variously as director, producer, executive producer, editor, writer and cinematographer on different projects.
Asurf Oluseyi’s Awards and Recognition
Asurf has received recognition for both short-form and feature filmmaking.
His notable achievements include Best Short Film recognition for A Day with Death, international recognition for Hell or High Water, awards associated with Hakkunde, and nominations for his directing work.
In 2016, he was also nominated for Best Screen Producer at The Future Awards Africa.
His recognition has therefore developed gradually. Rather than coming from a single award, it reflects several stages of production work across short films, feature films and broader screen projects.
Asurf Oluseyi’s Net Worth
There is no sufficiently reliable public financial record that establishes Asurf Oluseyi’s exact net worth.
Figures published by entertainment websites should therefore not be treated as confirmed unless they can be supported by credible financial documentation. His ownership of a production company and his work across film, television and commercial productions demonstrate professional activity, but they do not provide enough information to calculate his personal wealth accurately.
For that reason, an exact net-worth figure would be speculative.
What Makes Asurf Oluseyi Significant in Nollywood?
Asurf Oluseyi’s career is particularly useful for understanding the changing structure of Nigerian filmmaking.
His path shows that formal film education is not the only route into professional production. He developed practical skills through independent learning, built experience across different production roles and eventually created his own company.
His filmography also demonstrates movement from digital content and short films into feature filmmaking and larger Pan-African productions.
More importantly, his work illustrates the growing connection between Nigerian cinema, international festivals, streaming platforms and African co-productions. Hakkunde established his reputation as an independent filmmaker, while 3 Cold Dishes demonstrated a broader continental ambition. Iyaloja then returned to a distinctly Lagos-centred story in 2026.
Conclusion
Asurf Oluseyi is a Nigerian filmmaker whose career has developed through practical learning, independent production and a willingness to work across several areas of filmmaking. From short films such as A Day with Death and Hell or High Water to Hakkunde, Kasanova, 3 Cold Dishes and Iyaloja, his work shows a steady progression from digital production into feature cinema.
His story is also relevant to young people interested in filmmaking. Asurf’s career demonstrates the importance of learning technical skills, practising consistently, developing a body of work and understanding different parts of the production process.
With Asurf Films continuing to produce African screen stories, his career remains connected to the changing shape of Nollywood and the wider African film industry.
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