Passport of Mallam Ilia animated movie heads to Sharjah, Trinidad

The Passport of Mallam Ilia animated movie is going on the road before it is finished. Magic Carpet Studios, the Lagos studio adapting Cyprian Ekwensi’s 1960 novel, said on Thursday, 1 October 2026 that the film will screen as a work in progress at two festivals abroad.

First stop is the Sharjah Animation and Comics Conference in the United Arab Emirates, from 22 to 25 October. A few days later it lands in Trinidad and Tobago for the 25th anniversary edition of Animae Caribe, which runs from 28 to 31 October, according to the studio’s statement published by Pulse Nigeria.

The studio says the tour lets audiences and industry people see the film before it is complete.

What is The Passport of Mallam Ilia about?

The Passport of Mallam Ilia is a revenge story set in pre-independence northern Nigeria, told by an old warrior looking back on a life of love, duels and betrayal. Ekwensi wrote it in 1948 and it was published in 1960, the year Nigeria became independent, according to Brittle Paper.

When GistMatrix checked the Magic Carpet Studios website at about 10:30am WAT on Thursday, 1 October, the project page still listed the film as “in production” and as a feature film. It gave no release date and did not yet mention the festival tour.

How did we get here with The Passport of Mallam Ilia?

The adaptation has taken eight years so far. Here is the timeline from the studio’s announcements and earlier reports:

• 1948 and 1960: Ekwensi writes the novel; it is published in 1960 (Brittle Paper).
• 2018: Magic Carpet Studios takes the adaptation rights and announces a 2D animated feature, Pulse Nigeria reported on 18 December 2018.
• April 2025: the studio releases a first-look teaser (Brittle Paper).
• August 2025: Brittle Paper reports a $2 million budget, a crowdfunding drive on Wefunder and a release projected for April 2026.
• 1 October 2026: with April gone and no release, the studio announces the work-in-progress festival tour (Pulse Nigeria).

Who is behind the movie?

The film comes from Magic Carpet Studios in Lagos. Its chief executive, Ferdinand Adimefe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in 2018 that the project aimed to “connect the younger generation with the older one”, Pulse Nigeria reported. Brittle Paper reported in 2025 that the studio has worked with Cartoon Network, Sesame Street and Microsoft.

The Sharjah slot has its own back-story. The conference was first set for 26 to 29 March 2026 at Expo Centre Sharjah, but organisers postponed it after the regional war disrupted flights and travel in the UAE, Bleeding Cool reported on 12 March. The UAE news agency WAM has since announced that it returns on 22 October, the day the Magic Carpet tour begins.

What happens next

The Passport of Mallam Ilia screens as a work in progress at the Sharjah Animation and Comics Conference from Thursday, 22 October to Sunday, 25 October, then at Animae Caribe in Trinidad and Tobago from Wednesday, 28 October to Saturday, 31 October. As of 10:30am WAT on Thursday, 1 October, the studio had not named a Nigerian cinema or streaming date.

FAQ

Is The Passport of Mallam Ilia out in Nigeria?
No. As of Thursday, 1 October 2026, the film was still unfinished and no Nigerian cinema or streaming date had been announced.

Who wrote The Passport of Mallam Ilia?
Nigerian novelist Cyprian Ekwensi. He wrote it in 1948 and it was published in 1960.

How much did the animated movie cost?
Brittle Paper reported a $2 million budget in August 2025. The studio’s statement of 1 October 2026 gave no figures.

Did you read The Passport of Mallam Ilia in school? Tell us in the comments.

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