Obi Emelonye (born 24 March 1967 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria) is a Nigerian-born, UK-based filmmaker, producer, writer, and occasional lecturer whose work bridges Nollywood and diasporic cinema. He relocated to London in the 1990s, bringing with him a passion for telling African stories with global appeal. A graduate in Theatre Arts (University of Nigeria, Nsukka), he also studied Law (University of Wolverhampton) and obtained legal practice credentials, before eventually shifting his career focus fully into film.

Over more than two decades, Emelonye has directed and produced a string of notable films — including The Mirror Boy (2011), Last Flight to Abuja (2012), Onye Ozi (2013), Oxford Gardens (2015) and Black Mail (2022) — many of which achieved both domestic and international distribution. He is known for blending contemporary African themes, diaspora identity, and cross-cultural narratives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he famously shot a feature film remotely across London and Lagos, using video conferencing and local cameras. In 2022, his film Black Mail achieved what was considered the largest UK cinema release for an independent Black British film at the time, across 100 screens.

His work has contributed to the professionalization of Nollywood in the diaspora, and he is actively engaged in mentoring emerging filmmakers. Emelonye continues to explore stories of migration, identity, family, and the complexities of African life in both local and global settings.