Popular Nollywood filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele has weighed in on the ongoing conversation around movie promotion strategies in Nigeria.
This follows remarks made by fellow filmmaker Kunle Afolayan.
Afolayan recently expressed frustration over the increasing expectation for filmmakers to engage in social media trends
This is particularly dancing to promote their films.
According to him, the process is exhausting and distracts from the creative aspect of filmmaking.
“It is draining. I want to make a film if you guarantee me that I don’t have to dance to sell that film,” Afolayan said.
The award-winning director also criticised the industry’s growing obsession with box office figures.
He argues that impressive cinema numbers are meaningless if filmmakers do not earn proportionately from their projects.
“There’s no competition. I don’t want two billion in cinema, or even one billion, if I won’t make ten million from it,” he added.
Reacting via her Instagram Stories, Funke Akindele emphasised that opportunities within the industry are vast and encouraged creatives to focus on their individual journeys rather than comparing themselves to others.
She wrote:
“I’m not the one hindering your progress. Ka rin ka po, yiye nin ye ni. If you can’t beat them or join them, create your own path. No allow jealousy burn you. The sky is so big for everybody to fly.”
Funke Akindele further urged filmmakers to explore alternative promotional strategies or hire professionals to manage their marketing efforts.
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Also, she stresses that success does not follow a single formula.
“Go ahead and create alternative promotion or marketing strategies for promoting your business, or hire a company to handle it. You can do it! The opportunities are endless, and everyone has their own path. I’m focused on mine, and I have faith in God’s plan for me. Gbam!!!!!!”
