By Christian Agadibe
Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Benita Onyiuke recently struck gold recently when her movie, A Ride With Forever, was selected as one of the films to be screened at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF), scheduled to hold in Canada.
An expectedly happy Onyiuke took to her Instagram page to share the good news with an emotional note of gratitude. She wrote: “Thank You Jesus. It’s the Lord’s doing.”
This achievement was no mean feat as the TNIFF has become one of the most respected platforms that announce Nigerian movies to a global audience. These are movies that are entertaining and insightful.
Onyiuke’s movie fits right into that mold. It is a faith-driven film written from inspiration and brought to life with admirable cinematic skills. At first glance, the plot may sound modest: a married couple living peacefully despite their inability to conceive.
The movie chronicles the journey of faith that the couple passed through to experience the performance of God’s word in their lives. First, the husband, a medical doctor, brought home a little girl whose only relative, her grandmother, had just died. Gradually, the man began to drift away from his wife, and got attached to the little girl, leading the wife to imagine the worst: maybe he’s cheating, maybe being around a child has made him want one. She even involved her mother-in-law. But the truth turned out to be something she never imagined: her husband was sick, terminally ill, and kept it to himself!
The twist in the movie is the kind that Nollywood is known for, but what sets ‘A Ride With Forever’ apart is its tone. There’s no melodrama for drama sake. It is human and very relatable. You might expect the story to become a sad tale where the wife suddenly hates the little girl in true Nollywood style, but that never happens at all. When the wife finally learns of her husband’s condition, it was the little girl, armed with prayers her grandmother taught her, who gently guided the woman toward faith. The wife rediscovered God and the husband got healed. But it doesn’t end there: woman also discovered that she was pregnant too.
After watching this movie, you will find yourself exhaling with satisfaction because the actors brought their ‘A’ game. Even the YouTube comments reflect how good story it is. Many even dropped raw, personal testimonies. The most touching was a woman who said: “My husband did exactly this to me. He became distant. He was very sick but didn’t say anything. But in my own case, my husband didn’t make it…”
Another wrote: “Thank God for this film. I went through a similar journey, but God came through. This reminded me how far He has brought us.”
The film was directed with careful attention to detail. It is one of the cleanest faith dramas seen in recent years. The director was detailed, the pacing not sluggish, and the lighting is perfect.
This may be Benita Onyiuke’s first festival selection, but judging by the success of ‘A Ride With Forever,’ it will certainly not be her last. She’s already shown she has an eye for memorable stories.
She was recently honored with a “Recognition Award for Outstanding Filmmaker of the Year” by the prestigious Nigerian Women Achievers Awards in April 2025, for another film she produced titled “Love in Full Bloom.” Two major wins in one season! For updates, follow @benitaonyiuke on Instagram and keep an eye on the TNIFF official website.
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