IN CONVERSATION: IJEOMA ILOPUTAIFE AND PHILANA PAYTON

Multi-talented Imaginator Ijeoma Iloputaife, also known as Omah Diegu and ‘oma ‘taife, is a Ghana-born Nigerian who has taken up residency in California as an American citizen. She plays a pioneering role as the first African woman to study film and television production at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and is recognized as one of the filmmakers of an iconic group known as L.A. Rebellion. As a college undergraduate in the mid-1970’s, Ijeoma Iloputaife studied fine and applied arts at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and worked as a newsreel correspondent with Radio Nigeria Lagos during the vacations. Upon graduation, she worked as a reporter with Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Lagos before deciding to become a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) candidate at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in the late 1970s. Ijeoma Iloputaife has since made a number of films, some of which are still in circulation, including African Woman-USA; and The Snake in My Bed. As ‘oma ‘taife, she’s held exhibitions of her oil paintings under such theme titles as “Strange encounter With the Ancestors” and “The plight of The Rural Woman in Africa.” As Omah Diegu, she continues to write poems, essays, and novels which she hopes to add to her publications, which include Frauen Afrikas – Woman of Africa.

Philana Payton is an Activist and PhD Candidate in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California. Her research focus uses Black Studies, Performance Theory, and Queer Theory to explore blackness and visual culture through Black women’s performances. Philana has also done extensive archival research in early 20th century Black Silent Cinema as well as race and gender analyses from the classical film era to today’s cinema, television, and media. She is from Atlanta, GA.