Idris Elba's "Dust to Dreams" Set for Digital Premiere
- Nov 20, 2025
Idris Elba's latest cinematic endeavor, a short film entitled "Dust to Dreams," is set to be premiered on the digital streaming service EbonyLife ON Plus on the 14th of November. Set against the backdrop of Lagos, the film narrates the tale of a dying nightclub owner bequeathing her legacy to her reticent daughter, only to have old familial conflicts resurface with the return of the woman’s estranged armyman father. However, music paves the way to their reconciliation, ending up in a healing duet that revives their troubled relationships and breathes life back into the once famous club.
The silver screen project sees English singer-songwriter Seal sharing screen space with Nollywood ensemble including Nse Ikpe-Etim, Eku Edewor, Atlanta Bridget Johnson, and Constance Olatunde. The creation of the film was a shared effort from the production team to the artists and musicians, as the importance of family and endurance of love cannot be emphasized enough, reflected Elba.
EbonyLife ON Plus, an African lifestyle digital destination celebrating creativity, culture, and opportunities, launched by Mo Abudu earlier this month hosts the digital premiere of "Dust to Dreams". Abudu expressed her joy over the film's completion stating it as a realistic depiction of their community, love for family and music, and their interconnectedness, debunking the stereotypes of poverty or begging culture that the West often associates with them.
The production is a collaboration of Abudu, Heidi Uys, Gina Carter, Temidayo Makanjuola, and Inem King under EbonyLife Films, and sponsored by Afreximbank. After its global premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September and its European debut at the BFI London Film Festival, the film now stands to be considered for Oscar and BAFTA awards.
An exclusive behind-the-scenes special documenting the production of the film will also be unveiled on EbonyLife ON. The film’s original music track, "Mama," penned by Seal, Olatunde, Elba and The Cavemen, and performed by Seal and Constance, is slated for a global launch on Spotify on November 14.
