Women are here to stay in Nollywood, and we love it.
The Nigerian movie industry has continued to see a rise in female producers who not only do an amazing job with their movies but go all out in churning out refreshing stories for the public.
Here are 4 powerful female producers Nollywood has been blessed with
1. Chineze Anyaene
She stamped her presence with her 2013 movie ‘Ije’ and even before then, Anyaene has remained one of the consistent directors working today, but she helmed the unforgettable and critically acclaimed 2013 feature “Ije.”
The ace producer who was able to get two alleged rivals Genevieve Nnaji and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde on the set of her movie “Ije,” revealed how she was able to have both women work. In her words;
See ehn, I don’t like gossips. I don’t believe in gossip. I heard about the stories before I came. People said to me, oh you want to cast the two of them? I couldn’t be bothered because I was after what they had to offer, their talent. So I didn’t care if they had problems. Like I always say, the director is the sailor that sails the ship. So whatever you bring on is what the cast and crew pull-off. They were very cordial. They respected each other on set. And I respected the two parties. My set was strictly professional. According to Omotola, ‘there was no time to smile’. You only smile during coffee or launch break. I had a mission, and that mission was to finish the film. I made sure their egos didn’t clash. And the best way was just to ignore the notion.
There must have been so much tension on set…
There is always tension on set. But talking about having both of them on set, I think I had it easier with them. Whenever it was their scene, I always smile because you know they are professionals. When my camera rolls, it’s like I’m always smiling because whenever I see the two of them acting, you see that chemistry and you see professionals acting. When they are done, I’m always like ‘oh my God! These people are so good’. You are so happy, you forget the tension.
Genevieve Nnaji
The Nollywood actress turned producer got many talking with the release of her movie Lionheart which has since been picked up by Netflix. Lionheart tells the story of a young lady Adaeze who is bent on saving her father’sS with the help of her uncle Godswill. On making the movie, Nnaji told BBC; ”Yes, just being a woman trying to do business in Nigeria, especially even with ”Lion Heart”, we tried to partner with a few people, that didn’t work out, we pretty much just channelled all our frustrations into the film, it’s easier to draw inspiration from experience.”
Emem Isong
Isong started her movie career in 1994 with her co-production skill in the movie “Jezebel.”
She has since gone on to produce numerous movies to include, “Breaking Point, Private Sin,” “Promise Me Forever,” “Masterstroke,” “Critical Decision,” “Games Women Play” and “Behind Closed Doors.”
Isong did such an amazing job producing, paving the way for other female filmmakers in the industry.
Omoni Oboli
Ths talented actress directed her first movie in 2014. She has since gone on to produce and direct more movies to include “First Lady,” “Okafor’s Law,” “Wives on Strike,” and “Wives on Strike: The Revolution.”
With the movie “Wives on Strike,” Omoni made a whopping 15 million naira in three days.
Blessing Egbe
She is actually a personal favourite winning my heart with her movies “Lekki Wives” and “Two Brides and a Baby.” This downright talented filmmaker has since gone on to produce more movies to include; “One Room,” “This Thing Called Marriage and The Women.”
DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE WITH YOUR EMAIL BELOW AND GET MORE OF THIS EVERYDAY
Comments