Joel Ajayi
Nollywood producer and actor Kingsley Okafor says his new film Avante is meant as a moral compass “a hypothetical presumption of reality” for anyone struggling with life’s hardest decisions. The thriller, directed by Toka McBaror, opened Sunday night at Silverbird Galleria in Abuja.
Okafor, who also stars in the film, framed the story ahead of the premiere: “The movie is a thriller of vengeance, a thriller of love and a thriller of destiny. The movie is all about a son whose father was murdered alongside other people in the community, subscribed to a path with the siblings that they must avenge the death of their parent, and when you are faced with difficulties of choosing to go ahead with this, or destiny or love, it is going to be some decisions to make.” He added that it is “recommended for anyone faced with the cho in life.”
The plot centers on Gaju, driven by vengeance, who disguises himself as Albert, a humble farmhand, to infiltrate the remote estate of his parents’ killer. “But when he falls in love with the killer’s daughter, he must now choose between revenge and the life he never thought he could have,” Okafor explained.
Avante features Chimezie Imo, Patience Ujah, Eddie Walker, Maliya Michael and Ruth Nkweti alongside Okafor. Early trailers presented a second narrative strand: Imo as Kelechi, a Lagos hustler drawn into the orbit of a powerful businesswoman (Ujah) and her lieutenant (Okafor). As Kelechi climbs money, cars, influence he is pulled into blackMAIL, police shakedowns and a love triangle with the boss’s protégée (Michael).
McBaror, whose credits include Karma and The Anomalous, uses the twin arcs to explore ambition and betrayal in glossy nightlife and rural hideaways. The film’s palette shifts from neon-lit clubs to the dust of an isolated farm, underscoring what Okafor calls “a high-stakes, morally gray story.”
Okafor insisted the vengeful premise is universal. “A lot of people can learn from it,” he told reporters on the red carpet, noting that Nigerian audiences rarely see revenge tales grounded in family debate rather than pure action.
With its Easter release, Avante tests whether Nollywood can blend commercial shine with the kind of ethical questioning Okafor believes viewers need. For him, the answer lies off-screen: “It’s about the decisions you make when no one is watching.”
