Black Market was shot on the Canon EOS C400, bringing Canon’s professional Cinema EOS technology into Rixel Studios’ new Nollywood feature production.
The project continues Canon’s creative relationship with Nora Awolowo following Racket Queen, which was also shot entirely on the EOS C400.
Black Market is scheduled for a one-night screening at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, on 26 September 2026.
A crowded market. A dangerous operation. A story rooted unmistakably in Nigeria. Behind the world of Black Market is another story: a new generation of African filmmakers combining ambitious storytelling with professional cinema technology to shape how their stories look, feel and travel.
Canon, a global leader in imaging technology, through Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA), today announced its latest creative collaboration with Nigerian filmmaker and cinematographer Nora Awolowo, whose forthcoming feature film Black Market was shot on the Canon EOS C400.
Produced by Rixel Studios and directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay, Black Market represents the latest chapter in Awolowo’s creative journey and in her relationship with Canon. The feature film will make its highly anticipated premiere on 26 September 2026 at Lagos’ iconic Tafawa Balewa Square, bringing its story, scale and distinctly Nigerian cinematic vision to the big screen
For Canon, the significance of the collaboration goes beyond a camera credit. It is about what happens when technology gives filmmakers the confidence and flexibility to focus on what matters most: the story.
A collaboration moving from one story to the next
Canon’s relationship with Awolowo has developed through a shared focus on filmmaking craft and visual storytelling. In 2025, Canon celebrated her short film Racket Queen through exclusive screenings in Lagos and conversations around the creative and technical choices behind the production. The film was shot entirely on the EOS C400.
With Black Market, that relationship moves onto a larger feature-film canvas, putting the EOS C400 into the hands of a filmmaker already familiar with the system and allowing the technology to serve a new story, a new visual language and a different production environment.
“Every film asks something different of you as a cinematographer. With Black Market, we were creating a world that needed to feel immediate, textured and unmistakably Nigerian, while still giving the story the cinematic scale it deserved. The EOS C400 gave us the flexibility to move with that world across different environments, lighting conditions and the pace of the production without losing the visual language we wanted to create. Having worked with Canon before, there is also a level of trust in the relationship. It is not simply about having a camera on set; it is about having the freedom and confidence to concentrate on the story.”
— Nora Awolowo, Producer and Director of Photography, Black Market
Built for the unpredictability of a film set
At the centre of the production was the Canon EOS C400, a full-frame Cinema EOS camera developed for professional cinema and video production. Its 6K full-frame back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor, Triple Base ISO and compact, configurable body are designed to give filmmakers greater flexibility across changing production environments.
The EOS C400 supports 6K RAW recording, oversampled 4K and Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II. On a production such as Black Market, however, the value of those capabilities is ultimately measured not on a specification sheet, but in the images they help filmmakers create: faces, movement, light, locations and atmosphere that serve the story on screen.
Technology in service of African stories
The collaboration comes as Nigerian filmmakers continue to expand the visual and technical ambition of Nollywood, pairing the industry’s celebrated pace, entrepreneurship and storytelling energy with an increasing focus on cinematography and production craft.
For Canon, supporting that evolution means going beyond introducing equipment into the market. It means working alongside filmmakers, understanding the realities of African productions and creating opportunities for technology, education and creative experience to meet.
Black Market is a powerful example of what becomes possible when creative ambition and the right technology come together. Seeing how Nora, Fatimah and the wider team have used the EOS C400 to bring their vision to life is what makes this collaboration particularly meaningful for us. Technology matters when it gives filmmakers greater freedom to represent their own world, their own people and their own stories with the quality and authenticity they envision. Our relationship with Nora has grown from one project to the next, and that is exactly the kind of collaboration we want to build across Africa long-term relationships where Canon listens to creators, supports their craft and gives their ambition room to grow said Rashad Ghani, B2C Business Unit Director, Canon Central and North Africa
From Racket Queen to Black Market
Black Market marks the second time Canon has worked with Nora Awolowo on a film project, following its earlier collaboration with her around Racket Queen. While the two productions are entirely separate, the continued engagement reflects Canon’s approach to building longer-term relationships with
filmmakers rather than treating individual projects as isolated technology showcases. Through these real-world collaborations, Canon is creating a broader conversation around cinematography — connecting professional equipment with practical production experience, filmmaker education and the voices of the people working behind the camera.
Black Market features an ensemble cast led by Lateef Adedimeji and Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, alongside other Nigerian screen talent. As audiences prepare to see the finished film in Lagos on 26 September, Canon’s role remains where it belongs: behind the camera, alongside the filmmakers whose ideas ultimately determine what appears in front of it.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).
Media enquiries, please contact:
Canon Central and North Africa
Jayashri Namdar
e. jayashri.namdar@canon-me.com
APO Group – PR Agency
Rania ElRafie
e. Rania.ElRafie@apo-opa.com
About Canon Central and North Africa:
Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (https://en.Canon-CNA.com/) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2016 was a strategic step that aimed to enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region – by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus. CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market.
Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region. CCNA ensures the provision of high quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa.
Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei (https://apo-opa.co/46oWBm4) – ‘living and working together for the common good’. CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions and services. At Canon, we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.
For more information: https://en.Canon-CNA.com/
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