Streaming glitches disrupt Yoruba AI film premiere

Asiri Ilu Awon Osu film poster

The global premiere of Asiri Ilu Awon Osu (Mystery of Osu Land), billed by its producers as the world’s first Yoruba photorealistic AI feature film, was hit by technical problems after a surge of viewers overwhelmed the Docuth streaming platform.

The disruption left some prospective viewers unable to register, log in, complete payments or access the film after purchasing it, forcing the production team, Mysterious Tech Studio, to apologise to audiences on Tuesday.

The film premiered globally on Docuth on Monday, October 5, after months of publicity around its use of artificial intelligence to combine Yoruba storytelling with live-action filmmaking.

In a public notice, the studio said it had received complaints from viewers in Nigeria and abroad who were unable to access the film.

“We sincerely apologise to everyone who has experienced any difficulty trying to watch Asiri Ilu Awon Osu.

“We know many people have made the effort to watch this film, and we do not take that support for granted,” the studio said.

The production team said it was working with Docuth to address the problems and improve the platform’s capacity to handle the demand.

The studio also appealed to viewers who had paid for the film but could not access it to remain patient while the technical problems were resolved.

“To everyone at home and abroad who has tried to watch and could not get through, please do not be offended or discouraged.

“Our priority is for everyone who has paid for or intends to watch the film to have a smooth viewing experience,” it said.

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The difficulties came as the production entered its most important public test since the filmmakers began promoting the project as an experiment in AI-assisted African filmmaking.

The Yoruba-language film was completed in September 2025, according to its producers, who said about 80 per cent of its visuals were generated or assisted by AI, while the remainder involved live-action performances and human direction.

Rather than a fully automated production, the filmmakers have described Asiri Ilu Awon Osu as a hybrid project combining artificial intelligence with human performances, direction and Yoruba storytelling.

The project, co-created by Mysterious Tech Studio and Yoruba actress and filmmaker Tanwa Hameed, explores themes of power, oppression, justice, faith and society through a Yoruba cultural setting.

Its release also comes after the filmmakers sought international recognition for the production. They had previously submitted the project to Guinness World Records in pursuit of recognition for its use of AI and human filmmaking, although the proposed record category was not formally established.

The filmmakers have nevertheless continued to describe the production as the world’s first photorealistic Yoruba AI feature film, a claim that has also been reported by Nigerian media.

While the production itself had attracted attention for demonstrating how generative AI could be used to create a feature-length African film, its release exposed a different part of the technology chain: the ability of a streaming platform to absorb a concentrated international audience at launch.

The studio said the difficulties had not diminished its appreciation for viewers who had already managed to watch the film.

It thanked audiences for their reactions and said it would continue to provide updates as Docuth worked to stabilise access.

The film is being distributed on a pay-per-view basis rather than through a conventional subscription model, with the producers previously announcing separate payment options for its two parts.