Benneth Nwankwo (born February 22, 1995, Igando Lagos) is Nigerian documentary photographer, cinematographer, film director, film producer and talk show host. He is best known for his films, My Story (2020), Like Filtered Water (2021) and Breakout (2022)
Career
Nwankwo has directed a number of contemporary films, including Like Filtered Water (2021), Abuse Of Rights (2021), This Is My Story (2020) and Dreams and Survival (2020). In April 2021, he was told that he would be directing the feature film A Place Between Colours.
As a documentary photographer and a talk show host, on 31 January 2020 he hosted what was considered the first indigenous photo exhibition in Anambra state. The event tagged “Akaraka: Anambra Through A Lens”, attracted art and entertainment lovers from South East Nigeria and beyond. The event, which also featured live performances, was intended in part to highlight the state’s potential as a tourist economy, in hopes of creating economic opportunity and reducing crime. In addition to Nwankwo, the other photographers exhibited were Uju Egwin, Obiora Okoye, and Michael Ike.
The former Commissioner for Youth and Creative Economy in Anambra State, Afam Mbanefo, was impressed with Benneth Nwankwo’s usage of documentary photographs to tell the stories of Anambra state. He called for more participation of young people in the creative arts.
In October 2017, Benneth Nwankwo published his photographs of a nine-year-old boy hawking groundnut in Anambra state. The photographs quickly circulated all over the internet and were published by various newspapers in Nigeria. Many Nigerians, including 2017 Anambra State Gubernatorial Candidate, Okeke Chika Jerry, expressed interest in assisting the boy, Sunday Nweke, in furthering his education.
Breakout (Nigerian Tv Series)
In December 2021, Benneth Nwankwo was announced as the Director of BN MEDIA’s upcoming Nigerian teen centered Dance Drama TV Series, Breakout.[11] In an interview with Punch Newspapers, Benneth , noted that the new television series, Breakout, depicts the challenges encountered by aspiring dancers in Nigeria and further described it as “a new wave[12]”
Dejumbled (2022 film)
Benneth Nwankwo is the director of 2022 Nollywood drama film, Dejumbled. The film which featured Nollywood Veteran Actor Chiwetalu Agu was written and produced by fast rising Nigerian Filmmaker, Henry Akueche with Cinematography by John Chukwu Okonkwo popularly known as Nature Fingers Creation.
Awards/ Endorsement
In October 2020, a Nigerian real estate company, De-GraceLand Home Consults, signed Benneth Nwankwo alongside Chioma Okonkwo (Former Miss Impact Anambra) as brand ambassadors.The contract lasted for a year.
On the 1st of March 2022, Marskonnect.com – a Nigerian tech company – announced Benneth Nwankwo as their brand ambassador in a post via the company’s official Instagram platform. The film maker confirmed the appointment hours later in a post on his Facebook page.
