Nollywood: Intense ‘Competition’ For Cinema Movie Production As Film Industry Strives To Become Like Afrobeat

As the third-largest film industry in the world in terms of the number of films produced annually, Nollywood is striving to achieve global recognition similar to the meteoric rise of Afrobeats.

The movie industry has undergone significant transformations since the early 1990s when filmmakers began producing low-budget movies that resonated deeply with Nigerian audiences.

Movies like Living in Bondage (1992), a two-part drama directed by Chris Obi Rapu, written by Kenneth Nnebue and Okechukwu Ogunjiofor, produced by Ogunjiofor, and Glamour Girls (1994) became huge successes, paving the way for the industry’s growth.

Over the years, Nollywood has evolved, embracing higher production values and more diverse narratives, capturing the attention of global audiences and streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon.

New Era In Nollywood

The industry, which had earlier struggled with poor production and lacked proper training, has significantly improved its production quality, storytelling, and acting. A new generation of filmmakers is pushing the boundaries of producing appealing content, increasing filmmakers’ financial strength.

Also, Nollywood’s ability to tell unique and authentic African stories, especially biopics, resonated with audiences worldwide, as its movies are screened at film festivals and cinemas globally.

Before now, Nollywood films often focused on traditional themes like love, family, and culture, but modern films are more diverse and experimental as filmmakers are now tackling complex issues like corruption, social justice, and mental health.

Global aspirations

The global success of Afrobeats, with singers like Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido achieving international acclaim, serves as both inspiration and a blueprint for Nollywood.

There is no doubt that Afrobeats has done exceptionally well for Africa, and Nollywood aims to captivate global audiences, not just with entertainment but also by sharing African culture and stories on a larger scale.

With more partnerships in the film industry, stories with universal themes and unique cultural insights that resonate with audiences worldwide, Nollywood can attain the feat of Afrobeat.

Competition

The 2o24 festive season in Nigeria was ‘chaotic’ in the movie industry, as a-list Nollywood stars released top-notch films that competed for viewers’ attention in cinemas nationwide.

Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, released “Everybody Loves Jenifa,” while Mercy Aigbe released “Thin Line.”

Similarly, popular actress, Toyin Abraham, released the fifth installment of her hit comedy franchise, “Alakada”, titled “Alakada Bad and Boujee”.

“The Waiter,” a new film by ace comedian, AY, and other movies, also competed for supremacy at the box office.

The release of these films is a testament to the growth and development of the Nollywood industry, which continues to produce high-quality content that entertains and inspires audiences nationwide.

Femi Branch Addresses Cinema’s Favouritism.

Amidst the battle for supremacy at the box office in December, Nollywood actor, Femi Branch, expressed frustration over the growing trend of cinemas promoting one movie above others.

In a video via his Instagram page at the time, the actor revealed that cinema staff often wear promotional T-shirts for one film, remove media cards for other films from their counters, and replace them with those of the promoted film.

Branch further alleged that some cinema staff lobby patrons into watching certain movies, assuring them that it was better than their intended choice.

He argued that this behaviour creates division within the industry and appealed for fairness, transparency and an even playing field for producers.

In an interview with Naijaonpoint, Nollywood actor, Olarotimi Fakunle, addressed some of the issues in the industry and assumptions of repeating similar stories.

He said, “Stories can be similar, it is just like this ‘Olympus Has Fallen’ and ‘White House’ Down, from Hollywood. They are both similar stories but told differently and from different angles. It is not out of place to tell similar stories from different angles. Telling similar stories from different angles is a creative licence that everyone has in the industry.”

When asked if biopics and epic movies are being appropriately produced and if Nigeria’s culture is being promoted, Olarotimi stated, “Yes, we are promoting Nigerian culture, and it is better that it is told by a Nigerian from the same cultural background, heritage, or history. We do our biopics based on our knowledge and where we come from. However, it will not be out of place to do more research to gather more facts because it is documentation, and nobody wants to get it wrong because a child can pick up that film in the next ten years and believe it, perhaps it might be a misrepresentation so efforts must be made for documentation purpose.”

Speaking on fans’ assumption of competition for movie production during the festive season, the thespian said, “I don’t think competition should be the right word because even in Hollywood, towards the end of the year, there are lots of movies, even in cinemas and theatres and everybody decides what they want to see. To make it better, I will suggest that we do different genres of films so that people can have a variety of what they want to choose from. The right commodity should be out there for the audience to have their pick and see, and every individual filmmaker,and  actor have their fans.”

In conclusion, Olarotimi noted that “Nollywood is going to strive more than Afrobeat in future; it is still growing, and we learn every day on the job and in all facets of movie production, from cast to the crew, there is always a learning curve for everyone involved in production. With what the industry has been able to churn out in 2024, and there are many great works that have not been released, definitely, it can only keep getting better, raising the bar and the flag of Nollywood and Nigeria in general.”