The 4th Warrior

FILMOGRAPHY

IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER

1995 was the year I, Dexter Osita Nwanya, was introduced to the glorious world of film. I was PR personnel in Lagos, negotiating the sale of advertising concepts when I landed my first part as an actor in the highly successful film ‘The Testament’ directed by Lloyd Weaver, where I worked alongside Tunde Obe and Reginald Ebere. I had found my passion, strong appearances in a number of Nigerian works followed, notably Crossroads; a new career had taken off. I left Nigeria for South Africa in late ’96.

South Africa offered me more as the industry is more specialised; after my first work in a Lewis Stores cooperate video directed by Clive Morris 1998, I embraced the South African film industry. Completing a Television Presenting course on the recommendation of Christa Schamberger-Young, which did not really prepare me for the challenging ‘call parts’ in local TV series like Egoli, Jozi streets, etc, as I had to work in Sotho and Afrikaans. It got better; TV commercials of local brands like Hyperama, ABSA, VW Polo Playa, Nutriday became a favorite past time. I worked on Internationals TV Commercials for brands like Guinness(On Fire) and Milo both directed by Jonnie Botha, Gordon Spark, Globacom and FedEx(Funeral). In 2003, i played the lead character, Rudolph in a Sci-fi short film/TV Commercial directed by the highly acclaimed Swedish Director Jens Jonsson for Festis, Sweden, which prepared me for small parts on big international productions like The Long Firm, a BBC London TV film, and Lord Of War where I worked with Nicholas Cage and Andrew Nichol.

It got better, supporting lead part in the Award wining Austrian and South African film, Cutting Silence came along, where I enjoyed working with actresses, Linda Sokhulu and Vatiswa Ndara, a film written and directed by Reina-Marie Loader. Work in Diamonds, a big international film with huge stars, Derek Jacobi (Gladiator) and Judy Davis is worthy of note, as well as memorable roles in TV films like Assurance, Generations, Housewives and Blood on our hands.

Corporate Videos for Score Super Markets, Sentry Security, The Bill Board Company and Little Bird Productions form a notable aspect of my abilities. Worthy of note are the character Mr. Jones in the TV film, Cuppen, a Swedish /South African effort and also TV films like Kangaroo and Playing by the Rules. Dafe, in Jacob’s Cross, a highly successful TV series is an interesting role, but more interesting is the quality of work and the experience gotten for almost three years from this phenomenal series. The character Kwame in the local South African TV series became very significant as I understood what it meant to be a victim of Xenophobia. There are hosts of other significant works in Theatre, Corporate Theatre, Corporate Videos and Voice Overs and more recently, performed at the launch of Falling Skies, a Steven Spielberg/Fox TV production in association with Top TV, South Africa.

In respect of creative work, I scripted and directed Armageddon, a stage production, and directed short films like The Yeoville Apartment, The Inner-City Drumbeats, Eclipse, The 4th Warrior and more.