Livespot Studios has announced Darey Art Alade and Kayode Kasum as the directors of University of Side Hustle (USH), its first original feature film, written by Dami Elebe.
The announcement marks an important step in Livespot Studios’ expansion into original film storytelling, building on the company’s experience creating entertainment, cultural experiences and platforms that connect African audiences with the stories and ideas shaping contemporary culture.
At the heart of University of Side Hustle is a story that feels deeply familiar to a generation of Nigerians. The ensemble film follows young people navigating ambition, friendship, relationships, financial pressure and the realities of building a life in a world where one job, one dream or one path forward rarely tells the whole story.
For Livespot Studios, the film represents an opportunity to bring that reality to the screen through a distinctly Nigerian story, while creating space for new creative voices and talent.
Two Creative Perspectives, One Story
For Livespot Studios, University of Side Hustle is the beginning of a broader investment in original storytelling for the screen, with the ambition to develop African stories that are commercially compelling, culturally relevant and capable of reaching audiences far beyond where they begin.
Kayode Kasum is one of Nigeria’s established contemporary filmmakers, with directing credits including Sugar Rush, Afamefuna, Ajosepo and Netflix’s Far From Home. Darey Art Alade, Chief Creative Officer at Livespot360, brings more than three decades of experience across music, television, entertainment and live production, and steps into narrative feature directing with University of Side Hustle.
For Kasum, USH’s biggest attraction is how recognisable its world feels.
“What makes University of Side Hustle exciting to me is that the story is already happening all around us. The side hustle is part of how people live, build and survive, but there is so much underneath that reality. There are the friendships, the pressure, the compromises, the ambition and the people who keep each other going. I want us to make a film where people can laugh, see themselves and recognise the world they live in, while still being surprised by where the story takes them.”
He sees the film’s emotional core in the relationships between its characters.
“At its heart, this is a story about people. How they coexist, how they show up for each other, how they navigate each other’s problems and grow together. Everyone is trying to figure something out, but nobody is doing it completely alone. That sense of community is something I want audiences to carry with them when the film ends.”
For Darey, the move into feature filmmaking brings together years of experience in entertainment with a new form of storytelling.
“I have spent my career creating experiences for audiences, working with artists and bringing ideas to life across different forms of entertainment. Film gives me the opportunity to take that experience somewhere new, but it also demands that I listen, learn and allow the story to lead. I am excited by that challenge and by the opportunity to work with people who bring a different depth of filmmaking experience to the room.”
His collaboration with Kasum is central to that process.
“Kayode brings a filmmaking language and experience that I deeply respect. I bring my own perspective from years of working across music, television, live entertainment and creative production. The exciting part is seeing what happens when those perspectives meet. We can challenge each other, learn from each other and hopefully arrive somewhere neither of us would have reached alone.”
Kasum shares that view of the partnership.
“Film is always a collaborative process, and I think University of Side Hustle gives us a great opportunity to bring different creative perspectives into one story. Darey has spent years understanding audiences and creating experiences at scale, and there is a lot to learn from that. I am excited about the exchange and about what we can build together.”
A Film Built Around New Voices
The directors will work alongside an ensemble cast discovered through a nationwide casting process led by Livespot Icons, Livespot360’s talent management and representation platform.
The process attracted close to 1,000 monologue submissions, with selected performers progressing through callbacks and in-person auditions as Livespot Studios searched for actors who could bring the film’s characters and world to life.
For Darey, the ensemble approach is essential to the story.
“I want every character to feel like the lead in their own life. These are people with their own ambitions, pressures, relationships and ideas about where their lives should go. When you bring those individual stories together, the chemistry between the characters becomes just as important as any one performance. That is what I am looking forward to seeing on screen.”
Kasum is equally enthusiastic about what the casting process revealed.
“The auditions have been a reminder of how much talent exists across Nigeria. We have seen people with different backgrounds, different instincts and different approaches to the material, and that is exciting. There is something special about giving new actors the opportunity to introduce themselves to audiences through a story that already feels close to home.”
What University of Side Hustle Signals
The announcement comes at a time when African filmmakers and studios are increasingly looking to develop stories that speak to local realities while travelling beyond their immediate markets.
For Livespot Studios, entering feature filmmaking is an extension of its broader role within Africa’s entertainment ecosystem: creating platforms for talent, investing in original intellectual property and building experiences and stories that reflect the culture around them.
University of Side Hustle places the everyday lives of young Nigerians at the centre of that ambition. Its world is populated by people balancing careers and side hustles, personal relationships and financial realities, ambition and uncertainty. It is a story about the things people do to keep moving, and the communities they build along the way.
With Darey Art Alade and Kayode Kasum sharing the director’s chair, the film brings together experience from across Nigeria’s entertainment and film industries while opening the door for emerging talent to take their place in a new story.
University of Side Hustle will premiere at Entertainment Week Africa (EWA) 2026 in Lagos, running from November 17–22, 2026.
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