Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Matt Ogens has revealed that Disney believed in the story of Nigerian ballet prodigy Anthony Madu even before the young dancer secured his scholarship to the UK, making the entertainment giant one of the earliest backers of the acclaimed documentary Madu.

Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Friday, Ogens explained that the journey to securing Disney’s support began with a carefully crafted pitch. “We put a pitch together that had some video of Anthony and a treatment, and we took it to different streamers,” he said. “Disney was really excited by it. In a way, we were just a conduit. It’s Anthony who really sold the story. We were just a conduit to take it to Disney.”

Ogens said the decision underscored Disney’s confidence in both the filmmakers and in Anthony’s remarkable journey from Lagos to international recognition. “So Disney, right from the beginning, before we even knew he had the scholarship, just believed in us as filmmakers. The team believed in Anthony’s story—that they wanted to invest in this film. And so we financed the film up front.”

That belief culminated in “Madu” becoming a Disney Original Documentary, a project that has since gone on to earn international acclaim. The film not only traces Madu’s path from the dusty streets of Lagos to his training at the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School in the UK but also shines a light on the challenges and triumphs that shaped his journey.

For Ogens, Disney’s involvement was pivotal in bringing the story to a global audience. “It became a Disney original documentary and supported us all through,” he added, noting that the studio’s early investment ensured the film’s successful completion and distribution.

Madu, co-directed by Ogens and Nigerian filmmaker Joel “Kachi” Benson, recently made history by winning the Emmy for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary at the 2025 News and Documentary Emmys—the first Emmy win for a Nigerian in a non-news category.

Melissa Enoch

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