# Toka McBaror

Toka McBaror is a Nigerian filmmaker, producer, movie and music video director born, raised and is based in Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria but originally from Delta State. He received an award nomination for Kada River at the 2018 Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival in Canada, and six award wins for the film, Lotanna including: Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Director, Best Costume and Best Sound Editor at the 2017 Golden Movie Awards.
McBaror also has to his awards credits, "Best African Film" and "Best Nollywood Director" from the 2018 Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival, TINFF, which took place in Toronto, Canada, for the movie The Island. He was again nominated for the "Best Cinematography" and "Best Director" categories at the ZAFAA Global Awards, for his 2017 movie, Lotanna.

## Career

In 2011, Mcbaror directed the Nigerian singer, J'odie's musical video, "Kuchi Kuchi (Oh Baby)".
He directed the film, Blogger's Wife, released to the Nigerian cinemas on Friday, February 10, 2017. The film was produced by Seun Oloketuyi, featuring Nollywood actors and actresses like Segun Arinze, Adejumoke Aderounmu, Deyemi Okanlawon, Ijeoma Grace Agu and Adeniyi Johnson. Still in 2017, Kada River, a film he produced, was nominated for an award at the Nollywood Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. At the 2017 Golden Movie Awards, he was nominated in six categories, including: Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Director, Best Costume, Best Sound Editor.
In August 2018, the movie he directed, The Island was awarded "Best African Film" and he was awarded "Best Nollywood Director" at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival, TIFF, which took place in Toronto, Canada. In September of the same year, he directed the movie, Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons by Ayo Makun, a popular Nigerian comedian. He was again nominated for the "Best Cinematography" and "Best Director" categories at the ZAFAA Global Awards, for his 2017 movie, Lotanna.
In 2019, he released an action Crime TV Series titled, Paper Boat.
In early 2020, he directed Lilian Afegbai's first film of the year titled, Double Strings. Later on February 22 at a press conference in Abuja, he announced auditions for his movie titled, Red Caravan, which he would direct and co-produce, with an estimated production cost of N61 million, to be shot in Kaduna State. The film centers on epilepsy and is set in the 1880s, at a period when slave trade thrived and is to be acted by about 600 actors and actresses. During the Covid-19 outbreak, McBaror released a web series of short films entitled, The Chronicles, aimed at spreading public awareness on the Coronavirus disease.
By 2021, his first ever attempt at horror movie production, a movie titled Creepy Lives Here had its official trailer released in January starring Afeez Oyetoro, Nancy Isime, Bimbo Ademoye, ex Big Brother Naija (season 3) housemate Temidayo Adenibuyan aka Teddy A, Beverly Osu, and Mike Godson. By February, audiences had a first look at Underbelly, which stars Nollywood notable acts like Stan Nze, Femi Adebayo, Ali Nuhu, Maryam Booth and Kunle Coker.
In 2023, he directed Dark October, a film centered on the true life event of the lynching of four young Nigerian students from University of Port Harcourt, who were falsely accused of theft in Aluu area of Port Harcourt popularly known as Aluu Four lynching.

## Filmography
### Music

| Year | Title | Singer | Role |
| 2011 | "Kuchi Kuchi (Oh Baby)" | J'odie | director |
| 2019 | "Power Rangers" | Teni (singer) | director |
| 2020 | "Under The Sky" | Praiz | director |

### Film

| Year | Title | Actors | Role |
| 2024 | The Waiter | Regina Daniels, Deyemi Okanlawan, Ayo Makun, Shaffy Bello, RMD | director |
| 2023 | Dark October | Chuks Joseph, Boman Bognet, Oge Gabriel, Favour Ben, Prince David | director |
| 2022 | Almajiri | Ayo Makun, Alexx Ekubo, Asabe Madaki | director |
| 2021 | Underbelly | Kunle Coker, Martins David, Femi Adebayo, Akume Akume, Stan Nze | director |
| 2021 | Creepy Lives Here | | director |
| 2020 | Double Strings | Lilian Afegbai, Steve Asinobi, Ushbebe Comedian, Victor Decker | director |
| 2019 | Paper Boat | | director |
| 2019 | The Millions | Toyin Abraham, Vera Chidera, Etinosa Idemudia | co-director |
| 2019 | Made in Heaven | Toyin Abraham, Dauda Adewale, Cassie Daniel, Eso Dike, Lasisi Elenu | director |
| 2018 | Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons | Segun Arinze, Fathia Balogun, Falz, Nancy Isime | director |
| 2018 | The Island | Femi Adebayo, Segun Arinze, Tokunbor Idowu | director |
| 2018 | Kada River | Fella Makafui, Chris Okagbue, Rachael Oniga, Joke Silva | director • co-producer |
| 2017 | Lotanna | Liz Benson, Chris Attoh, Henry Adofo, Jide Kosoko, Bimbo Manuel | director |
| 2017 | Blogger's Wife | | director |
| 2015 | Ikogosi | Kunle Adetoba, Didi Ekanem, Chelsea Eze, Emem Isaac | director • producer |
| 2014 | Cubweb Tomorrow | | director |

### Web/TV Series

| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
| 2020 | The Chronicles | director | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Event | Prize | Recipient | Result |
| 2018 | ZAFAA | Best cinematography | Himself | Nominated |
| 2018 | ZAFAA | Best director | Himself | Nominated |
| 2018 | TINFF | Best Nollywood director | Himself | Won |
| 2017 | GMA | Best Film | Lotanna | Won |
| 2017 | GMA | Best Director | Himself (for Lotanna) | Won |
| 2017 | GMA | Best Cinematography | Himself (for Lotanna) | Won |
| 2017 | GMA | Best Art Director | Himself (for Lotanna) | Won |
| 2017 | GMA | Best Costume | Lotanna | Won |
| 2017 | GMA | Best Sound Editor | Himself | Won |