Dust to Dreams Makes the Rounds at Joburg Film Festival

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Dust to Dreams, an Idris Elba’s directorial collaboration with Mo Abudu’s EonyLife, is making its festival rounds at the 8th edition of the Joburg Film Festival (JFF), set to run from March 3 to March 8, 2026, in South Africa.

Written by Idris Elba, Dust to Dreams joins a lineup that includes African titles like The Fisherman, as well as internationally recognised films such as Tunisia’s Oscar-nominated The Voice of Hind Rajab, and Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s British drama Dreamers.

This mix reflects the festival’s ambition: to place African cinema in direct dialogue with the global industry, rather than in a separate category. Thus the selection places the film within a curated slate of African and international titles.

Dust to Dreams is set in Lagos and centres on legacy, memory, and reconciliation. The story follows a dying nightclub owner who leaves her life’s work to her reserved daughter. When the daughter’s estranged father, a former soldier, reappears, unresolved family tensions resurface.

Music becomes the unlikely bridge, culminating in a final duet that heals old wounds and breathes new life into the storied club. As Elba told Variety, the film was “the most collaborative process,” driven by the belief that “family matters and love doesn’t die.”

The cast reinforces that intent. British-Nigerian singer Henry Adeola Samuel (Seal) leads the ensemble alongside Nse Ikpe-Etim, Eku Edewor, Atlanta Bridget Johnson, and Constance Olatunde, combining musical presence with grounded performances.

The film premiered on EbonyLife ON Plus on November 2025 and subsequently made notable festival stops, including its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, followed by a European screening at the BFI London Film Festival.

Dust to Dreams marks a significant step in Elba’s directorial relationship with Nollywood. While he has long straddled acting and producing, his collaboration with Abudu reflects a growing creative exchange between African studios and global talent, rooted in shared storytelling priorities.