Steve Babaeko, chief executive officer and chief creative officer of X3M Ideas, has secured a place at the 2026 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) with his short film Ramat, marking a new milestone in his creative career beyond advertising.
The film, inspired by a childhood memory involving his father, a soldier, is scheduled to screen at the festival in November. Babaeko, who also serves as president of the International Advertising Association’s Nigeria chapter, said the project began as a personal attempt to preserve an experience that had stayed with him for decades.
Brandspur Brand News reports that the story centres on the moment Babaeko witnessed his father cry for the first time, following the death of Nigeria’s leader. Although he was too young to understand the full significance of the event at the time, the sight left a lasting impression on him.
Years later, he decided to turn the memory into a film. Babaeko said his initial intention was not to produce a work for the festival circuit but to tell a story that mattered to him. Its selection for AFRIFF has now given the project an opportunity to reach a wider audience.
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The film also represents a move into filmmaking for the advertising executive, whose career has focused on brand strategy, creative development and marketing communications. His work at X3M Ideas has centred on developing ideas and narratives for brands, while Ramat applies his storytelling interests to a personal experience.
Babaeko credited the cast and production team for helping bring the story to the screen. Actors Gbubemi Ejeye, Samuel Adebola and Durotimi Okutagidi feature in the film, while Nora Oreoluwa Awolowo served as director of photography.
He praised Awolowo for capturing the emotional undercurrents of the story through her visual interpretation, noting that the film relied on imagery to convey feelings that words alone could not fully express.
He also acknowledged Oluwabukola Makinde and the production team at Zero Degrees, including Seun Akinseloyin and Josh Borrill, for their contributions to the project.
For Babaeko, the AFRIFF selection offers an opportunity to present a Nigerian story created by Nigerian talent on a platform showcasing films from across Africa. Further screening details are expected ahead of the November festival.
The development adds filmmaking to Babaeko’s expanding creative pursuits, with Ramat bringing a long-held personal memory into the public domain through cinema.
