The Federal Government has halted the planned Lagos premiere of a new movie titled “Living in Colors”, after the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) declared the production “unclassified” and accused its trailer of containing explicit pornography and promoting same-sex relationships.
The Board said it had been alerted to a promotional poster and trailer circulating across media platforms for a “Media Press Call and Movie Premiere of ‘Living in Colors’” scheduled for August 29, 2026, at a cinema facility in Lagos.
In a strongly worded statement issued on August 26, 2026, the NFVCB said preliminary investigations and reports indicated that the film’s trailer “depicts explicit pornography and actively promotes same-sex relationships.” The Board did not provide further details of the investigation or identify the specific scenes in the trailer that it considered objectionable. However, it said the film had not been submitted to it for the statutory vetting and classification process.
The statement said, “The Board states categorically that this film has neither been submitted, vetted, nor classified by the NFVCB,” declaring that its public exhibition or promotion was therefore “completely illegal.”
The Board said it was taking steps to ensure that the planned premiere did not go ahead, revealing that it was working with federal and state security agencies to identify those behind the event and disrupt it, noting “… the Board is collaborating with federal and state security agencies to track down, disrupt, and halt the planned press call and premiere event at the designated venue.”
According to the NFVCB, it had contacted the management of the exhibition centre and other venue providers, warning them against hosting the film. The Board described the exhibition of an unclassified film as “a direct breach of digital and theatrical content laws.”
It warned that any venue that proceeded with the event could be immediately sealed and have its operating licence revoked.
The NFVCB announced that legal proceedings were being initiated against the production company and the individuals involved in producing and promoting the film. It invoked both the NFVCB Act and the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, asserting that public exhibition or distribution of unclassified or legally prohibited content constitutes a serious criminal offence.
“Under the NFVCB Act and the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, it remains a severe criminal offense to make a public show or distribution of unclassified or legally prohibited content,” the Board said.
The statement did not name the production company, producers, or promoters facing the proposed legal proceedings, nor did it disclose the specific nature or stage of the proceedings.
The Board said its action was part of its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s “moral, cultural, and constitutional values,” and warned filmmakers, cinema operators, and digital distribution platforms against facilitating the promotion or exhibition of the movie.
“Content creators, cinema operators, and media distribution platforms are strongly advised to desist from aiding the promotion of this unlawful work or face the full wrath of the law,” the Board warned.
