In this spritely Nollywood romantic comedy, an aspiring restaurateur returns to her home in Lagos to try and refine the fare at her family's little hotel, only to find that her parents are planning on selling out to a rich (and devilishly attractive) buyer.

A film by Ishaya Bako

Nigeria, 2017, Fiction, 1h30 minutes, colour, English, PG

starring Zainab Balogun, Kenneth Okolie, Jide Kosoko, Rachel Oniga, Deyemi Okanlawon, Kemi'Lala' Akindoju, OC Ukeje, Joke Silva, Olu Jacobs, Toni Tones, Ini Dima-Okojie, Akah Nnani, Charles Inojie

NOTE BY THE PROGRAMMER
All you need is love - but great food doesn't hurt, either. Luckily for all bon vivants, the new film by Ishaya Bako combines both.
Ope (Zainab Balogun, seen at last year's Festival in audience favourite The Wedding Party) is struggling to make it as a chef in London and dreams of opening her own Afro-fusion restaurant. But she keeps hitting roadbloacks in her attempts to get her business going, and she finally quits her job when it becomes clear that her flare for exploring finer fare isn't appreciated.

Unsure of what to do next, she heads home to Lagos to reinvigorate the palates of the guests at her family's hotel. Little does she know, however, that her parents (played by Nollywood icons Jide Kosoko and Rachel Oniga) are planning on selling the establishment. The plot takes another tasty twist when the buyer turns out to be none other than the eye-catching Deji (former Mr. Nigeria himself Kenneth Okolie). Will this set-up be a recipe for disaster or one for true love?

Bako brings a playful quality to his sophomore feature and captures the unmistakable chemistry between his leads. Backed by the strong ensemble cast (including 2016 TIFF Rising Star OC Ukeje) and executive produced by mogul Mo Abudu, The Royal Hibiscus Hotel is a tale of navigating careers and love - and finding a way to have your cake and eat it, too.
KIVA REARDON (TIFF 2017, Toronto)

Tags: Identity, Global Perspectives, Life Experiences, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN, Romance, Comedy

Executive Producer
Mo Abudu

Producers
Priscilla Nwanah, Temidayo Abudu

director
Ishaya Bako

screenplay
Nicole Brown, Debo Oluwatuminu, Olayinka Ogun

Cinematography
Trevor Brown, Malcolm McClean

sound
Oladayo Thompson

Production Designer
Funmi Okigbo

Original Score
Cobhams Asuquo

Editing
Michael Becker

CAST
Zainab Balogun : Ope
Kenneth Okolie : Deji
Jide Kosoko : Ope's Father
Rachel Oniga : Ope's Mother
Deyemi Okanlawon,
Kemi "Lala" Akindoju,
OC Ukeje,
Joke Silva,
Olu Jacobs,
Toni Tones,
Ini Dima-Okojie,
Akah Nnani,
Charles Inojie


Production Company: EbonyLife Films

International Sales: Film One Distribution


2017 | TIFF - Toronto International Film Festival, Canada | 7-17 sept 2017
* Selection - Contemporary World Cinema
* World Premiere
www.tiff.net/tiff/the-royal-hibiscus-hotel/