Private Project

Beyond Tarkwa Bay

Featured in Premium Times for unearthing "Nigeria’s secret surfing community", and winner of the Best Narrative Short Award at the 2026 African Film Festival Atlanta, Beyond Tarkwa Bay documents how teenage surfer Abraham finds his dreams at odds with reality. Mentored by local legend Godpower, Abraham overcomes his fear of the ocean to embrace a newfound passion for surfing.

But when navy bulldozers suddenly destroy their island homes, his dreams are left hanging in the balance. Refusing to be defeated, Abraham returns with his father’s support to pursue a competition that could take him beyond the only home he’s ever known.

  • PETER OGHENETEGA OKE
    Director
    Boys on the Brink, Happy Hour
  • PETER OGHENETEGA OKE
    Producer
    Boys on the brink, Happy Hour
  • RUME RENEE ONOSODE
    Executive Producer
    Boys on the Brink
  • PETER OGHENETEGA OKE
    Executive Producer
    Boys on the Brink, Happy Hour
  • RUME RENEE ONOSODE
    Co-Producer
    Boys on the Brink
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 4, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada, Nigeria
  • Country of Filming:
    Nigeria
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • African Film Festival Atlanta
    Atlanta
    United States
    Best Documentary Short
  • Pan African Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    February 16, 2026
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - PETER OGHENETEGA OKE

PETER OKE is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Canada. With over seven years of experience in directing, producing, and cinematography, Peter’s work is defined by a deep commitment to socially impactful narratives and the exploration of African identity in the diaspora.

He creates from a distinct vantage point, holding a background in Psychology that informs his empathetic approach to character-driven storytelling. This lens enables him to navigate complex social landscapes with nuance, as evident in his award-winning feature documentary, Boys on the Brink, which won the Best Documentary Feature award at both the Political Film Festival and the International Gold Festival (USA).

Currently a graduate student at OCAD University, Peter is expanding the boundaries of non-fiction storytelling through his thesis on Africanfuturism and Virtual Reality. His latest film, Beyond Tarkwa Bay, continues his exploration of resilience, capturing the vibrant surf culture of Lagos against the backdrop of displacement.

His films have been recognized at festivals worldwide, garnering over 10 selections and two nominations. The short film Happy Hour (2021) was nominated for Best Short Film at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival, while he received a Best Director nomination for the same film at the Standalone Film Festival. In addition to his personal projects, he has also created advertisements for local and international companies.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Beyond Tarkwa Bay is a deeply personal project, born from my desire to amplify the voices of young Nigerian athletes who place their hopes for a better life in their abilities. The talent and passion are typically present, but they often lack solid mentorship, investment, and modern facilities, which hinder their ability to compete with their peers globally. Eventually, they resign themselves to menial jobs to get by, despite all that potential.

Building on the success of our previous award-winning documentary, Boys On The Brink, this project was made possible through deep community trust and exclusive access. We navigated the complex bureaucracy of the Nigerian Surfing Federation and the Nigerian Navy to secure us filming in a conflict zone, ensuring we could tell this story from the inside out, not as observers, but as partners with the Tarkwa Bay community.

With the Youth Olympic Games coming up in Dakar, Senegal, marking the first Olympic event ever on African soil, Surfing has been designated a major "engagement sport" in the program aimed at promoting youth involvement. This documentary is set in Nigeria's only known surfing site, which has the potential to produce Nigeria’s first Olympic surf team.

Furthermore, in a global moment defined by forced migration, Beyond Tarkwa Bay disrupts the visual language of displacement, which is too often reduced to images of despair and dependency. When the state seized their land, the Tarkwa Bay youth took to the ocean. The film offers a radical framework for resilience by juxtaposing the attempted erasure of a community with the fluid mastery of surfing.

This story showcases the resilience of a community often overlooked, where surfing symbolises freedom despite systemic barriers. This film is a testament to the power of the Nigerian youth, the strength of mentorship, and the unyielding spirit of Tarkwa Bay. I hope it inspires audiences to pursue their dreams, regardless of the odds.