Joana Adesuwa Reiterer

Nigerian-born Austrian filmmaker, writer and social entrepreneur dedicated to telling authentic African stories that merge heritage, modernity and social impact. Founder of Bold With Jo platform, Joana works across fiction, documentary and hybrid formats. Her background as an award-winning human-rights advocate shapes a body of work centred on identity, land justice and female agency.

Filmography

  • 2025, Ivory Rose // Feature Drama – In development.

  • 2025, STOFF- Lace Relations// Feature Documentary. Co-writer & Co-Director / a Pooldoks Production.

  • 2025, Custodians of the Red Gold // 12-part Hybrid-Docu-Series – Writer, Director, Producer

  • 2025, EZUZU // Fiction Series – Writer, Director, Producer - Post production

  • 2025, HEX (Client Hex) // Sci-fi Short – Writer, Co-Director, Producer - Post production

  • 2025, Lace Relations // Feature Documentary – Writer / Director

  • 2024, BWJ Podcast – Host / Producer

  • 2023, Voices Uprising // Feature Documentary – Writer / Director / Producer

  • 2011, Joana und die Mächte der Finsternis // Feature Documentary – Lead Protagonist - BR / ARTE / ORF

  • 2011, Better Life// Documentary – Writer / Director / Producer

  • 2010, Are We Aware // Documentary – Writer / Producer

  • 2010, A Place of Peace // Short Fiction – Writer, Producer

  • 2006, Greener Pastures // Short Fiction – Producer

Joana Adesuwa Reiterer is a Nigerian-born Austrian entrepreneur, filmmaker, and female advocate. She began her journey in Nollywood at 16 and later founded EXIT in Austria, advocating for Nigerian survivors of human trafficking. Her activism led to a landmark legal victory and the publication of Ware Frau (2008), exposing human trafficking networks in Europe. As a filmmaker, Joana produced fiction, documentaries & awareness-driven films, one of which became a UN training tool. She also launched Joadre Fashion, a social enterprise empowering young Nigerian women through entrepreneurship. Her media projects include books, documentaries, and the Bold With Jo (BWJ) platform, which fosters African-centred storytelling. A recipient of multiple awards, including the Austrian League for Human Rights' prestigious Human Rights Award, Joana continues to work across Austria and Nigeria, driving impact through film, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.

Joana Adesuwa Reiterer is a Nigerian-born Austrian social entrepreneur and filmmaker whose career has spanned multiple industries, from fashion and film to social advocacy and media production. She started her first business at 16 in Benin City, Nigeria, while studying polymer technology. Her passion for creative arts led her into Nollywood as early as 1997, where she worked as an actor and all-rounder on production sets. After moving to Austria, Adesuwa founded EXIT, advocating for Nigerian survivors of human trafficking. Her activism led to a landmark legal victory and the publication of Ware Frau (2008), exposing human trafficking networks in Europe. In collaboration with a team of advocate lawyers, Adesuwa led and won the first case for a Nigerian victim of human trafficking, prompting the asylum court to grant the victim protection in Austria. This victory set a precedent in Austrian law for future cases.

Adesuwa expanded her advocacy into film, producing short films like Are We Aware, and her work was adopted as a training tool by the UNODC and IOM in 6 European countries. She also organized the Nawa Film Festival in Nigeria in 2011, hosting notable Nollywood figures. As an actress, she performed alongside Oscar-winner Emma Thompson, portraying "Selma" during a UN role-play at the Austrian Parliament and later in New York and was an assembled cast in Ramplelicht theatre in Austria. She has written several books, including her autobiography Die Wassergöttin (2008) and was the lead protagonist in the German documentary Joana und die Mächte der Finsternis, which aired on major European networks. In addition to her creative work, Joana founded Joadre Fashion, empowering young Nigerian women through entrepreneurship. She successfully pitched the project on the Austrian TV show 2 Minuten, 2 Millionen, training over 300 young people and connecting them with international markets. Since 2020, she has focused on content creation, launching JoadreTRIBE, which later evolved into Bold With Jo (BWJ), an edutainment platform highlighting African narratives through film and conversations. She has received multiple awards, including recognition by the Obama administration in 2009 as part of the Alumni of Young Political Leaders (European Minority). Joana currently splits her time between Austria and Nigeria, balancing family life with her work in media, entrepreneurship, and social impact.

Selected Recognition and Special projects.

  • Alumni of Young Political Leaders (European Minority Programme) – Obama Administration (2009)

  • Multiple Human Rights Awards for activism.

  • Organised Nawa Film Festival (2011) in Nigeria, connecting Nollywood and international film communities.

  • Voices Uprising – Official Selection, 13th Eko International Film Festival (2023)

  • Creator of an Edutainment Platform for African creatives - Bold With Jo .

Female Advocacy

During her work to advocate for survivors of human trafficking and sexual violence, she worked with several renowned media houses and personalities, amongst whom were two Austrian journalists, Corinna Milborn and Mary Kreutzer, to release the first book on the Human trafficking of Nigeria women in Europe called "Ware Frau" (Women as commodities) released in 2008. The book exposed the role of European politics and legislation that provide a fertile environment to exploit the victims. Being the first African woman to speak against the exploitation and ill-treatment of Nigerian trafficked women in Austria, she became famous for her outward activism, leading to high media attention and nominations for her work.

auto-biography

In 2008, Adesuwa released her autobiography book called "Die Wassergöttin "available throughout bookstores in German-speaking Europe and online. In 2011, she released a documentary novel called "Hexen Kind" and continued her book tours and speaking engagements throughout German-speaking Europe. The same year, Adesuwa became the lead protagonist for the German TV station BR documentary "Joana und die Mächte der Finsternis", aired on ARD, ZDF and the Austrian National TV, ORF. Since then, she has worked with several companies to develop media reports, documentaries and ventures.