GODPOWER
Tarkwa Bay beach community

The Pull Is Real

GODPOWER

Grand Jury Prize Winner, Best Short Film, Dances With Films LA

A surf instructor in Tarkwa Bay, Nigeria battles to keep his family afloat as life pushes him toward an unthinkable choice.

“Universally human…
A cinematic gift.”

DWF Grand Jury

The Story

Set in the coastal community of Tarkwa Bay, Lagos, Godpower follows a local surf instructor as he tries to keep his life on track while family responsibilities and a morally compromising opportunity close in. Created in collaboration with the Tarkwa Bay community, the film tells a deeply human story about resilience, responsibility, and the choices that define who we become.

Close portrait of Godpower, a surf instructor at Tarkwa Bay
“This is the African story I dreamed of sharing — and the world’s only seen sixteen minutes of it.”

GP PEKIPUMA

Biography
Official Godpower film poster

Watch Godpower on the Big Screen

Upcoming Screenings

Toronto, Canada · One Night Only

Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival

September 8, 2026 · 6:20 PM

Palmerston Library Theatre

560 Palmerston Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M6G 2P7

See the Film

Los Angeles · One Night Only

Indiewood Film Festival

September 11, 2026 · 9:30 PM

TCL Chinese Theatre · Block G

Get Tickets

Culver City, Los Angeles

Academy-Qualifying Screening

Culver Theater

September 18–24, 2026

Check back soon for showtimes.

Theater Details

Credits

Written & Directed by

Geoff Browne

Story by

GP Pekipuma & Geoff Browne

Starring

GP Pekipuma & Isaac Humphrey

Cinematography

Geoff Browne

Edited by

Geoff Browne & Garry M. B. Smith A.C.E

Original Score

Luc St. Pierre

Executive Producer

Alex Mecl

Produced by

GP Pekipuma, Geoff Browne, Diana C. Zollicoffer & Garry M. B. Smith

Production Companies

Bruce Brown Films & Boundless Light Productions

Coverage, Interviews & Background

News + Press

Coverage, interviews and background on Godpower, GP Pekipuma and the surf community of Tarkwa Bay.

Rolling Stone Africa — Read the Godpower feature

Featured

Reel 360·July 1, 2026

“Godpower” Wins Grand Jury Prize at Dances With Films

Reel 360 covers the film’s Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film, its production in Tarkwa Bay and the community collaboration behind it.

Read on Reel 360

Film Coverage

Deadline·June 2026

2026 Dances With Films LA Awards

Deadline covers the full awards slate from Dances With Films LA 2026, where Godpower took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film.

Read the Article

No Film School·2026

How I Shot a Grand Jury–Winning Narrative Short Alone in a Nigerian Surf Village

Writer, director and cinematographer Geoff Browne breaks down how he made Godpower without a traditional crew—directing non-actors and working with limited equipment, power and resources in Tarkwa Bay.

Read the Article

Before the Film

Vogue·December 14, 2017

A New Crew of Nigerian Skaters and Surfers Is Turning Lagos’s Tarkwa Bay Into a Style Paradise

Published years before Godpower was made, Vogue’s profile explores the emerging surf culture of Tarkwa Bay and introduces GP Pekipuma as a local surfing legend with recognition across Africa.

Read the Article
GP Pekipuma, surfer and community leader from Tarkwa Bay

GP PEKIPUMA

Story By / Producer / Actor

The Man Behind the Story

GP Pekipuma is a pioneering surfer, instructor and community leader from Tarkwa Bay, a coastal community off Lagos, Nigeria. He has been surfing since the age of ten.

GP began by shaping wooden boards by hand and teaching himself to ride the waves. In 2017, he was profiled by Vogue, which described him as a local legend whose surfing had earned him recognition across Africa.

Read the Vogue Profile

He later founded GP Surf School, where he teaches young Nigerians to surf and helps them build confidence in the ocean. Through surfing and mentorship, GP continues to champion Tarkwa Bay and carry its culture to the world.

Director Geoff Browne filming on a boat in Lagos, Nigeria during the making of Godpower

Director’s
Statement

Geoff Browne — Writer / Director / Cinematographer

Since 2008, I have traveled back and forth to Nigeria—making award-winning documentaries, spending time working in orphanages and teaching directing masterclasses. Yet I knew nothing about surfing there.

While in Lagos, I heard about the surf community in Tarkwa Bay. I booked a lesson, got on a boat and went without knowing what to expect. That day opened a world I wanted to share.

For eight months, Godpower Pekipuma and I stayed in touch, shaping the film together. Rather than observe his community through a documentary, we created a narrative that places audiences inside the life of a Nigerian surf instructor facing family pressures and difficult choices.

Together, we built a story he wanted to share and I wanted to tell. I’m grateful to help carry it from Tarkwa Bay to audiences around the world.

Make Waves

Godpower is a narrative short born in Tarkwa Bay, a surf community off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria.

After watching the film, many people told us they had no idea Nigeria had a surfing culture. Help us change that—and carry this story from Tarkwa Bay to audiences around the world.

Every follow, share, rating and comment helps the film travel farther.

01

Share the Trailer

Post it, send it or tag someone who should see the film.

02

Follow the Journey

Follow @godpower_shortfilm on Instagram for screenings, news and updates.

Follow on Instagram

03

Seen the Film?

Rate Godpower on IMDb or Letterboxd.

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Contact & Press

Contact Us

For festival programming, press materials, interview requests, and screening inquiries, contact the film team.

@GODPOWER_SHORTFILM

Your information will only be used to respond to your inquiry.

Godpower Surf Wear — surf-inspired apparel from Tarkwa Bay, Nigeria. Wave Dey Call. Shop Now.