Ola Balogun began his filmmaking journey with a series of short documentaries, including One Nigeria (1969), Thundergod (1971), and Nupe Masquerade (1972). His first feature, Alpha (1972), was a low-budget, semi-autobiographical project that marked his transition into fiction. In 1973, he founded the Afrocult Foundation, creating space for independent filmmaking in Nigeria.

In 1975, he directed Amadi, an Igbo-language film, followed by Ajani Ogun, a Yoruba-language hit that helped popularise the adaptation of Yoruba stage plays into film. Balogun continued to stretch cinematic boundaries with Black Goddess (1978), a Nigerian-Brazilian co-production that explored African identity in the diaspora. His filmography, which includes Ija Ominira (1979), Aiye (1980), Cry Freedom (1981), Orun Mooru (1982), and Money Power (1984), reflects a filmmaker attuned to Nigeria’s cultural shifts and political tensions. His body of work helped shape the direction of Nigerian cinema long before Nollywood emerged.