Moses Inwang Biography: Early Life, Career, Films, Awards, Family & Net Worth
Moses Inwang (born January 31, 1978) is a Nigerian film director, producer, editor, and screenwriter best known for classic Nollywood films that address societal injustices and nagging life difficulties that are rarely depicted in Nigerian cinema. Inwang received widespread acclaim in 2012 for his directorial efforts on the psychological thriller Torn, which he also produced and premiered in theatres countrywide in 2013.
After receiving numerous nominations, awards, and recognition for that film, he went on to direct and produce other hits such as Damage, Cold Feet, Stalker, Last 3 digits, Alter Ego, Crazy People, American Driver, Unroyal, and finally Merry Men 2, Ayo Makun‘s (AY) blockbuster film, which emerged as the second highest-grossing movie of 2019 in Nigeria with a sum of 240 million.
With a career spanning two decades, Sneezemankind, as he is well known, received his first film credit in 1998 when he co-produced Two Good Men. In 2004, he founded his production company, Sneeze Films, which debuted with the film “Save My Soul”.
In 2008, he directed the film “Lost Maiden”, which brought the controversial issue of female genital mutilation to the forefront, sparking societal debate. He went on to create Save Our Souls, an educational film about cancer. He also directed and co-produced Damage in 2011, a film on domestic violence that earned numerous nominations and won prizes in Florida, USA.
Moses Inwang Biography
Photo Credit: @sneezemankind, Instgaram
Moses Inwang was born on January 31, 1978, in Lagos, Nigeria. He is from Akwa Ibom State and belongs to the Ibibio ethnic group.
Growing up in the bustling city of Lagos, he had a strong interest in storytelling and filmmaking from an early age. Inwang attended the Obafemi Awolowo University.
Career
Inwang sprang to prominence and soon received critical acclaim for directing the psychological thriller Torn, which he produced and released in theatres nationally. The film won him numerous award nominations and recognition both domestically and internationally.
However, his career took a positive turn as he was hired to direct Merry Men 2, a film produced by Ayo Makun (A.Y.) of Corporate World Entertainment that became the second-highest-grossing film of 2019. In 2004, he founded Sneeze Films, which debuted with the film Save My Soul.
In 2008, he directed the film Lost Maiden, which pushed the topic of female circumcision to the forefront of public discourse. He also produced Save Our Souls, an educational film on cancer. He also directed and co-produced Damage in 2011, a film on domestic violence that received numerous prizes and nominations.
The psychological thriller Torn, which he produced in 2012 and released in theatres across the country in 2013, garnered him numerous award nominations and recognition, as it did the majority of the performers who appeared in it. Inwang received a nomination for best director for his film Damage at the African Oscars in Florida, USA, in 2012, and the film won Best Film.
In 2013, he received the City People Award for Best Director. Torn, his 2013 film, garnered nine GIAMA nominations in Houston, Texas, as well as six Best of Nollywood nominations. In 2014, he became the first Nollywood director to receive two nominations for Best Director at the Nollywood Movies Awards.
His film, The Last 3 Digits, was nominated for best comedy at the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2015, and it was also picked as one of the few Nollywood films to be screened to thousands of people at Nollywood Week Paris. His love drama Stalker, which aired in Nigeria on February 26, 2016, garnered 10 nominations and three awards at the 2015 Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards in the United States.
Moses Inwang’s 2015 film STALKER, which he wrote, produced, and directed, received 12 nominations and won awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Film. In 2015, Stalker won the award for Best International Film at the New York Film Festival. In 2017, his film American Driver, produced by Sneeze Films, won the Best Comedy Award at The People’s Film Festival in Harlem, New York.
American Driver was also nominated for “Comedy of the Year” in the 2017 Best of Nollywood Awards. Another blockbuster, Alter Ego, produced and directed by Moses Inwang and starring Omotola Jalade, premiered in Nigerian cinemas to a highly anticipated audience in 2017 and quickly became the most talked-about film of the year.
Alter Ego won the award for Most Outstanding Film at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF). It also earned Moses Inwang Best Director at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival and Best Screenplay at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), with the film receiving nine nominations. It received the best foreign film prize at the People’s Film Festival in New York.
In 2018, Moses Inwang produced Crazy People, which went on to become one of the top ten highest-grossing pictures of the year. The talented filmmaker has also made another stunning romantic drama picture, Cold Feet.
By late 2019, Moses had been hired by A.Y.’s Corporate World Entertainment to direct the blockbuster and numerous award-winning picture Merry Men, and its sequel, Merry Men 2, had become the second highest-grossing film at the box office by the end of 2019 with a total of 240 million.
Filmography
Two Good Men
Save My Soul
Lost Maiden
Stalker
American Driver
Alter Ego
Body Language
Crazy People
Cold Feet
Merry Men 2
Unroyal
Lockdown
Bad Comments
Merry Men 3: Nemesis
Blood Vessel
Dead Serious
Awards and nominations
Year
Event
Category
Film
Result
2012
African Oscars Awards, Florida, USA
Best Film
Damage
Won
African Oscars Awards
Best Director
Nominated
2013
City People Entertainment Awards
Best Director
Torn
Won
2013 Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards
Best Motion
Nominated
Best Drama
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Nominated
Best Supporting Actor
Nominated
Picture Best Director
Nominated
Producer of the Year
Nominated
2014
Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards (GIAMA)
Best Screenplay
Last 3 Digits
Won
2015
Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards (GIAMA)
Best Film (Drama)
Stalker
Won
2016
Zulu African Film Academy Awards
Best Director
Won
2017
Best of Nollywood Awards
Comedy of the Year
American Driver
Nominated
The People’s Choice Awards
Best Comedy
Won
2018
Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA)
Best Writer (Movie/TV Series)
Alter Ego
Won
Best of Nollywood Awards
Director of the Year
Body Language
Nominated
2020
2020 Hollywood African Prestigious Awards
Best Director in an Independent Film (Africa)
Unroyal
Won
2020
The People’s Film Festival
Best International
Cold Feet
Won
Best Director
Cold Feet
Won
2022
NollywoodWeek Film Festival
Public Choice Awards
Lockdown
Won
Personal Life
Inwang is the surviving male child in a family of six, having lost his brother at a young age. He is married to the actress Emem Inwang.
Net Worth
Moses Inwang has almost twenty years of expertise in the Nigerian film industry, and his net worth is reported to be $1.5 million. His fortune comes from his many positions as a director, producer, editor, and screenwriter, as well as his ownership shares in Sneeze Films and Fortress Studios.
Social Media
Instagram: @sneezemankind
