Julius Onah


Julius Onah is a Nigerian-American filmmaker.

Early life

Onah was born in Makurdi, Benue State in Nigeria. He was raised in the Philippines, Nigeria, Togo and the United Kingdom before moving to Arlington County, Virginia with his diplomat father, Adoga Onah. Onah graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, VA and received his B.A. in theater from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He completed an M.F.A. from the graduate film program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University where he was selected as a Dean's Fellow. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Scholarship.
His twin brother, Anthony Onah, is also a director, with his first feature film The Price released in 2017.

Career

Onah's work has screened at festivals around the world including Sundance, Berlin, Tribeca, London, Dubai, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Camerimage. In the summer of 2010, he was selected as one of Filmmaker magazine's . In 2013, he was selected as one of Studio System's and Forbes Magazine's . While at NYU's graduate film program he completed his first feature as his thesis, The Girl Is in Trouble with executive producer Spike Lee, featuring Alicja Bachleda, Wilmer Valderrama, Columbus Short, and Jesse Spencer. Onah was previously set to direct thriller film adaptation Brilliance for Legendary Pictures which David Koepp scripted with Will Smith and Noomi Rapace to star as leads. He recently completed The Cloverfield Paradox with producer J. J. Abrams. His latest film, Luce featuring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth and Kelvin Harrison Jr., premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Filmography

Open Continents

is a global media project comprising Onah's short, feature, music video and television work.
ContinentTitleCountrySubjectYear
EUROPESZMOLINSKY GermanyEuro Tales2008
EUROPENIE PATRZ WSTECZ PolandEuro Tales2008
EUROPEDRIK NU AGNESDenmarkEuro Tales2011
AFRICAGOODBYE CHICKEN, FAREWELL GOAT NigeriaAfrican Days2010
AFRICABIG MAN NigeriaAfrican Days2012
NORTH AMERICASHE WAITS IN THE RESTLESS HORIZONUSANew York Streets2005
NORTH AMERICALINUS USANew York Streets2007
NORTH AMERICATHE GIRL IS IN TROUBLEUSANew York Streets2015
NORTH AMERICAMEDITATIONS/A LOVE STORYUSAAmerican Lives2004
NORTH AMERICATHE BOUNDARY USAAmerican Lives2008
NORTH AMERICABROKEN ARROWS USAAmerican Lives2015
NORTH AMERICALUCEUSAAmerican Lives2019
NORTH AMERICATHE CLOVERFIELD PARADOXUSAHollywood Lights2018