Michael U. Olowu, known artistically as UZEO, was born in Miami to Nigerian parents, raised between the pulse of Nollywood and the rhythm of American indie cinema. At five, animated films sparked his imagination, but it was his grandmother’s Nollywood tapes and a local mentor’s guidance that awakened his vision: cinema as a vessel for truth, memory, and rebellion.
By nine, he was acting, studying drama, and appearing in indie films. Through the Vijien Youth Film Academy, UZEO found the courage to defy convention. In 2012, he launched Olowufilmproductions to tell visceral, human stories. By 2019, he founded U.F.E. (Underground Film Era), a collective championing raw, radical filmmaking.
His short Grillz & Mirrors earned honors at Slamdance in 2023, while his debut feature The Child Within premiered at the Urban Film Festival in 2022. UZEO blends surrealism, cinematography, and music into immersive cinematic rituals—pushing boundaries, preserving authenticity, and reshaping what cinema can be.
