Our Woman Crush Wednesday, Mimi Bartels is a big fish in the entertainment industry. She has over a decade of experience in production, film distribution, media, branding, and alternative investments. Currently, she is the Head of Production at FilmOne Entertainment, the largest film distribution/production company in West Africa.
Prior to Mimi’s appointment as Head of Production, she served as FilmOne’s Head of Accounts for Nollywood and Independent Hollywood Titles. At the company, she has spearheaded the distribution of 70% of the all-time top 10 box office releases in Nigeria. Her first ever story was developed for Toyin Abraham’s 2020 comedy film Fate of Alakada. The first film she produced, Kambili: The Whole 30 yards, was one of the fan favourites on Netflix, and Mimi has gone on to produce more top-grossing Nollywood movies. A blog she ran, “Miseducation of Mimi,” is currently being adapted into a six-episode series.
Before joining FilmOne Entertainment, Mimi had worked for the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) under New Media, and was a prominent member of the organisation’s Magazine Board. She hosted a relationship column in Leadership newspaper, and represented Nigeria as the delegate at several global film and communication events, such as the Marché du Film Festival de Cannes, International Market of Communications Programmes (MIPCOM), and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Conference.
Variety magazine listed Mimi as “Women That Have Made an Impact in Global Entertainment,” in 2021. She also got interviewed by the Golden Globes Awards in 2021, where she shared insights on the advancement of Nollywood amidst the challenges presented by the covid-19 pandemic.
Pride Magazine Nigeria celebrates Mimi Bartels and all she stands for. She is a testament to other women that they can be all they want to be if they put their minds to it.