Alumni of the Beautiful Camp, maiden edition, Osasogie Guobadia and Nazifi Abdullahi are deploying AI in traditional filmmaking to address topical societal issues.
The resulting feature film built around the girl-child, scheduled to begin shooting on October 12, 2025, is part of their objective of using AI and storytelling to counter negative narratives about Nigeria while providing the correct information via infotainment that edifies the human spirit and aspirations.
Guobadia (actress and make-up artist) connected with Abdullahi (a broadcast reporter) at the Beautiful Camp Bootcamp last September. The camp, founded by Jos Repertory Theatre (JRT) with the support of the Czech Foreign Ministry’s Czech Transition Development Programme, trained 15 young artists/creatives – spanning various genres of art – on how to deploy their craft and influential platforms in the spread of the principles of democracy, human rights, human dignity and freedom of the press.
These have been the cornerstones of the Czech Republic’s democracy today and a means through which two nations, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, achieved the peaceful establishment of Czechoslovakia on January 1, 1993.
Since then, the Czech Republic has taken it upon itself to spread these principles to other nations as the foundation of any democracy.
While civil societies and legal practitioners are often the go-to professionals for promoting the principles above, the founder of JRT, Dr Patrick Jude Oteh, envisioned that these principles can be best expressed by young artists who possess creative skills and can break down the messages in a manner that will be more relatable to their community members. In addition, promote understanding, tolerance and the reach of the artists’ messaging through their collaboration across various geopolitical zones.
Guobadia and Abdullahi’s ongoing project is a collaboration between North Central (Abuja) and North West (Kano), fulfilling part of Oteh’s dream for the Beautiful Camp.
The actress brings her expertise in filmmaking and basic knowledge of AI, combining that with Abdullahi’s broadcast journalism skills to create a raw five-minute video which features an AI image and voiceover of nearly all 15 participants at the boot camp. Today, their feature film project, addressing the girl-child and combining AI and traditional filmmaking techniques, will begin filming in October.
While it was difficult to agree on a topical issue, Guobadia said their shared interest in “using films as a strategy for mass information and social change” strengthened their connection.
“You must know that in Nigeria, if you do not have a very big purse or access to finance, you are limited to working with fellow creatives in your immediate locality. The Beautiful Camp offers us the opportunity to meet and align our work with our individual styles.
“This is still a work in progress. Nigeria is truly blessed and Czech Aid’s Beautiful Camp is making us realise that creativity can be borderless. And the stories from each geopolitical zone are inspiring. It has been an inspiring journey,” Guobadia said.
Beautiful Camp Bootcamp 2.0 will be held in Abuja from September 21 to 25, hosting 30 creatives, media, education and legal practitioners.
