A Nigerian production team has completed a Yoruba-language feature film created largely with artificial intelligence, marking another step in the growing use of emerging technology within Nollywood.
The film, titled Asiri Ilu Awon Osu, translated as Mystery of Osu Land, combines AI-generated visuals with live-action performances, human voices, writing and direction.
Its producers describe the project as the world’s first photorealistic AI feature film. However, that description remains a claim by the filmmakers and has not been independently confirmed by a recognised international film body.
The production was developed by Mysterious Tech Studio in collaboration with Yoruba Nollywood actress Tanwa Hameed, who is also known as Asake Omogbajumo.
AI used for most of the visuals
According to a report by Vanguard, the science-fiction production runs for more than three hours and is divided into two parts.
The filmmakers said artificial intelligence was used to generate about 80 per cent of the film’s visuals. The remaining elements were produced through human direction, live-action performances and other conventional filmmaking methods.
The production team said the film was developed over three months between June and September 2025.
Its story examines oppression, injustice, power and the consequences of abuse within a fictional society. It also draws on Yoruba culture, language and traditional beliefs while placing its characters in a technology-driven visual environment.
The Nigerian Television Authority reported that the film was presented at the G-Spark Summit as the world’s first Yoruba photorealistic AI feature.
According to NTA, the film later received an Award for Social Issues at the Janjera International Film Festival in India. It was also selected for the LIFACC International Film Festival in Lagos and nominated at the Twin Cities International Film Festival in Delta State.
These festival appearances give the project some public visibility, but they do not independently establish that it is the first AI-generated feature film in the world.
Guinness declined proposed record
The filmmakers submitted the production to Guinness World Records in October 2025 under a proposed category for the longest cinematic film co-created by artificial intelligence and a human director.
According to the production team’s account reported by Vanguard, Guinness declined the application on January 27, 2026, after reviewing it for about three months.
The filmmakers said the application was rejected because the proposed category had not been established by Guinness World Records. The decision therefore did not provide official recognition for the production’s world-first claim.
There is also no publicly available confirmation from Guinness identifying the film as a record holder.
The filmmakers have maintained that the project was completed before comparable productions under their chosen definition. However, artificial intelligence has already been used in several international short films, experimental productions and feature-length projects.
Whether Asiri Ilu Awon Osu qualifies as the first depends heavily on how terms such as “photorealistic”, “AI-powered” and “feature film” are defined.
For that reason, the claim should remain attributed to the producers unless it is confirmed by an independent body with access to comparable productions worldwide.
Technology meets indigenous storytelling
The project is notable for using an indigenous Nigerian language in a production built substantially around AI-generated imagery.
The filmmakers said they did not set out to replace actors, directors or other creative professionals. Instead, they view the technology as a way for independent filmmakers to produce ambitious scenes without the equipment, large crews and budgets normally required.
AI tools can generate locations, characters and visual effects that may be difficult or expensive to create through physical production. However, their growing use has also raised questions about copyright, performers’ rights, consent and the future of creative employment.
No detailed public information has been provided about the specific AI tools used for the film, the source material used to produce its visuals or the arrangements governing the likenesses and voices of performers.
Those details will be important when the complete film becomes available for public and professional examination.
Release details remain limited
The production team has said it intends to release Asiri Ilu Awon Osu through major streaming platforms. As of the latest reports, no confirmed global release date or streaming agreement has been announced.
PUNCH reported that the producers were presenting the film as a world-first production combining AI and live action. Specialist publication VP Land also described it as a completed three-hour Yoruba feature whose visuals were largely generated with AI.
The film demonstrates how Nigerian creators are experimenting with new production methods while keeping local language and cultural identity at the centre of their stories.
Its exact place in global film history remains open to verification, but the project is a significant example of how artificial intelligence is beginning to influence filmmaking in Nigeria.
