Imoh Umoren

EARLY LIFE

Imoh Umoren was born on 13 August 1982 in Nigeria. His mother was a university professor and his father a politician (also described as a librarian and pro-African orator). Their frequent debates on politics, philosophy, socialism, and capitalism shaped his analytical approach to storytelling. He grew up in a large extended family environment. Both parents died when he was a teenager (mother when he was about 13, father around 15). He was raised by relatives before striking out on his own at age 16. He has spoken openly about the lasting impact of this loss, including struggles with depression and mental health. At age 9, he began writing a comic series called The Wickeds with a friend. He attended the University of Port Harcourt and later studied television and film production in Canada.

CAREER

Imoh Umoren began his career as a junior producer for 'Common Ground Production' working on 'The Station'. He was also involved with franchise TV productions such as Project Fame, MTV Advance Warning, Don’t Forget The Lyrics, and Malta Guinness Street Dance. At 26, he directed his first feature film, 'Lemon Green'. He directed the short film 'All Sorts Of Trouble', which won four awards at the In-Short Festival and was nominated for The AFRIFF International Festival. His TV movie 'Have A Nice Day' was nominated for Best Cinematography in 2013 at the Africa Magic Viewer's Choice Awards. In 2015, his black and white silent film 'Hard Times' won an AMVCA, making him the first filmmaker to create a silent black and white film in Nollywood. He directed 'The Happyness Limited', for which the lead actor, Tope Tedela, won Best Actor in Africa at the AMVCA. Umoren also wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 'Children of Mud', which received 7 nominations at various international film festivals, including the Nigeria Entertainment Awards and the AMVCA. His film 'Dear Bayo' was screened in 11 film festivals and won 6 awards at the UK Nollywood Festival. He co-wrote and directed 'Lagos: Sex, Lies & Traffic' and completed the period drama 'The Herbert Macaulay Affair' in 2018. In 2020, he made the drama series 'Channel 77'. Other directorial credits include the musical webseries 'Indigo' and shorts like 'Emem', 'Mama Na Boy', and 'Lift-Off'. He is considered a leader in the new generation of Directors and Producers.

PERSONAL LIFE

Umoren was married for about three years before the relationship ended in divorce. He has a son (who lives primarily with his mother in the UK) and has also been involved in raising a nephew. He has discussed the challenges of single parenthood, long-distance parenting via video calls, and how the divorce and separation from his child contributed to periods of depression. He has been open about mental health struggles, particularly depression stemming from early parental loss and personal setbacks, and advocates for vulnerability among men. He has spoken positively about finding love again after his divorce.

Umoren is regarded as a pioneering figure in Nigerian indie cinema who prioritizes artistic risk-taking over purely commercial formulas. He has spoken extensively about the challenges and freedoms of independent filmmaking, distribution strategies, and financing through persistence, collaboration, and cause-driven projects.