Who we are
Snag Productions was founded in 2022 with a simple mission: make Black & African cinema mainstream. Not niche. Not a “community screening”. Not a diversity slot in February. Mainstream — the way Korean film stopped being a specialty section and became something people just go and see.
We started with a theatrical network of 2 locations in 2024. We now have access to over 26 with Landmark & CineStarz plus a growing network of indie cinemas and cinematheques.
How we work
We’re collaborators by nature. We typically license short — theatrical rights for the theatrical run, platform rights non-exclusive.
We don’t sit on rights we aren’t working.
We front the P&A, take our fee off the top + recoupables. We don’t cross-collateralize — a filmmaker who trusts us with their film doesn’t get handed a bill the next time they come around.
The team
Damola Layonu
Co-Founder & Head of Distribution
Damola began his career in distribution in 2016 at West Africa's largest independent film distributor before joining Elevation Pictures in Canada in 2021. These two formative roles gave him a rare cross-continental grounding in both emerging and established markets, and shaped the editorial vision behind Snag. Through Snag Productions, he champions films at the intersection of festival credibility and audience accessibility, building theatrical releases that activate diaspora communities and broaden the reach of Black and African storytelling in the Canadian market. Alongside his distribution work, he is a producer with two short films to his credit.
Chiagoziem Obi
Co-Founder and Head of Strategy
Chiagoziem leads operations, strategy and deal-making. She brings a decade of business operations experience, having headed Health, Safety & Compliance at West Africa's largest cinema chain. That strong background in strategy and business analysis shapes how Snag structures its acquisitions and release planning. Chiagoziem is also a certified project manager and a formidable negotiator.