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Logline

A Nigerian-born musician is invited to join a chart-topping hip hop group reeling from the unexpected death of their frontman—unaware he’s being tested as a replacement, and that someone may be hiding the truth about what really happened.

Synopsis

The Orphanage is a proof-of-concept television pilot about Gozie, a young Nigerian-American musician invited to join a legendary hip-hop collective after the loss of their charismatic frontman.Charged with helping the group finish their long-delayed fourth album, Gozie moves into their Malibu home—only to discover he’s not just joining a band, he’s stepping into a family weighed down by grief, ego, and unfinished business.

Meet the Filmmakers

Tola Omilana — Writer/Director
Tola Omilana is a Nigerian-American filmmaker from Palm Springs whose work explores philosophical questions through bold, imagined worlds. A Harvard graduate in biomedical engineering and documentary filmmaking, he honed his craft directing shorts at the Sensory Ethnography Lab. In 2019, he founded From—Projects, LLC to create immersive audiovisual pieces celebrating albums by Black artists like Tyler, The Creator and Kendrick Lamar. After completing his first feature through a UCLA fellowship, he earned his MFA at USC, where he wrote a second feature, directed acclaimed shorts and music videos, and produced award-winning thesis films. As Lead Student Assistant for USC’s undergraduate thesis program, he mentored more than 100 filmmakers. In 2025, he received USC’s First Look Award for Outstanding Producing.

Kate Hanson — Producer
Kate Hanson is a producer based in Los Angeles, CA, with a passion for bringing untold stories to light. She began her journey in North Carolina, where she studied biochemistry at Wake Forest University. After graduating, Kate spent a year teaching kindergarten and was encouraged by her young students to dream big and pursue her passion for storytelling. Kate strives to inspire connection and conversation through her projects, which often focus on mental health, identity, and our relationships with others and ourselves. Kate recently received her MFA in Film & Television Production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where she focused on producing and first assistant directing. When she’s not producing, Kate enjoys making music and hiking through Yosemite Valley.

Santi Naidoo — Producer
Santi Naidoo is a South African independent producer based between Los Angeles and Cape Town. She has an MFA in Producing from the American Film Institute Conservatory and holds a triple major BA (Hons.) degree from the University of Cape Town. Santi worked in development and production at Submarine Entertainment, and many of her projects have been featured in festivals around the world, including the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (USA) and Fixion Fest (Chile). She has over a decade of experience in narrative, documentary, commercial, and stage development and production and is passionate about creating spaces for underrepresented and marginalized filmmakers.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.