Toyin Ibrahim Adekeye, Associate's Degree (Film & TV Production) Co-Ch

Toyin Ibrahim Adekeye is an artistic filmmaker with an eye for detail and a passion for perfection. An award-winning director born in Nigeria, and now based in Los Angeles, Toyin is the founder of Motherland Productions USA. He grew up in a rural community, surrounded by a family of cultured storytellers and lovers of art. As a young man, Toyin was surrounded by video cameras and cameras of all types, while living with his guardian, Oyewole Edun Alakija, the former Chief photographer of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. Mr. Alakija was known for documenting pre-independence and post-independent Nigeria as part of his work responsibilities.

Observing his guardian, and with much film equipment from Mr. Alakija at his disposal laying around at home, Toyin naturally gravitated towards a hobby for documenting intriguing stories in his environment. In 2001, Toyin moved to the United States, and founded Tomi International Inc in 2006, a durable medical equipment supply company and established Keyes Diagnostic Center in 2008.

Living in Los Angeles, the world’s filmmaking capital, Toyin observed the way African stories were being told and felt the need to tell those stories from a different, more informed and authentic perspective. He pursued film education at the Los Angeles Film School Hollywood and graduated at the top of his class as class valedictorian of 2012.

Since then, Toyin has worked and traveled around the globe, expanding his experience with knowledge of art and cinema. Among his early credits are: "Pitch Black” (2011) "Deadly Silence” (2012) "Whole 'Nother Level” (2013) and “You” (2018) which have screened globally, including at the Cannes Film Festival.

Toyin’s recent documentary "Bigger Than Africa" was nominated for the African Movie Academy Award 2018. This documentary has screened worldwide, winning numerous additional awards and earning screening invitations from Ivy League schools such as Yale. His film “Bigger Than Africa” was hugely popular in Toronto when featured, and was screened to sold-out audiences.

The combination of Toyin’s early rural upbringing in Africa, exposure to filmmaking early on, and his urban adult life in American cities have provided him a unique storytelling ability that captures the authenticity of Black lived experiences while conveying narratives in memorable and impactful ways.