Ahead of the 2026 World AIDS Day, OGWA Studios has announced the lead cast for its upcoming short film and national awareness campaign, BI30, a project aimed at tackling the deeply rooted stigma surrounding HIV testing in Nigeria.

Nollywood actors Durotimi Okutagidi and Adeola Awodein have been tapped to lead the cinematic campaign.

According to the studio, the announcement goes beyond traditional casting, marking the beginning of a nationwide conversation on sexual health, trauma, and healing under the theme “The Courage to Know.”

Okutagidi will play the role of Ehi, a young Nigerian man approaching his 30th birthday who finally decides to confront a fear he has carried since childhood by taking an HIV test.

The narrative is centred around a deeply personal counselling session. Awodein stars opposite him as the HIV counsellor—a character designed to represent compassion and to remind the public that testing is an act of self-respect and responsibility, rather than an admission of guilt.

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The film’s writer, director, and executive producer, Prosper Light, explained that the casting process was heavily focused on finding performers who could carry the emotional weight of the subject matter and connect with viewers on a visceral level.

“BI30 was never conceived as a film that lectures people. It invites audiences into a deeply human experience,” Light stated. “Before we cast actors, we searched for people capable of creating empathy. Because empathy changes behaviour in ways information alone sometimes cannot.”

Scheduled to commence production in the coming months, the film will officially premiere on December 1, 2026.

However, OGWA Studios noted that the screening will serve merely as the launchpad for a broader grassroots movement.

Following its debut, the BI30 project will extend beyond the screen into university tours, community conversations, healthcare partnerships, and youth-focused public awareness activations. The studio hopes these initiatives will encourage informed, stigma-free dialogue around HIV testing and sexual health across the country.