Politics In Nigerian Cinemas Must Stop – IK Ogbonna

Nollywood actor IK Ogbonna has kicked against politics in Nigerian Cinemas. He recently had his say via his Instagram page, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, because filmmakers poured their heart, soul, and countless hours into taking their movies to the big screen, it is unacceptable when they have to encounter manipulative tactics at cinemas across the country.

IK added that showtimes have been shifted countless times, slots replaced, and even the air conditioning turned off in halls showing “A Very Dirty Christmas.”

His words, “Politics in Nigeria’s cinema has to stop.

This message is for the cinema houses directly and also for the producers who are influencing these politics. We’ve poured our heart, soul, and countless hours into bringing ‘A Very Dirty Christmas’ to the big screen, and it’s unacceptable that we’ve encountered these manipulative tactics. Showtimes have been shifted countless times, our slots replaced, and even the air conditioning turned off in halls showing our film. Celebrities doing meet-and-greets have had negative experiences. And let’s not forget the attendees behind the counter who manipulate and influence customers, steering them away from certain films. This kind of bias is unacceptable.
To the other producers involved in these tactics: you know yourselves. We won’t name names, but it’s time to stop. You’re part of this industry, and by playing these games, you’re hurting it. The politics is as clear as day and night. Stop now so we can have a fair and thriving cinema environment.

Producers invest heavily and simply want a fair chance to share their work and recover their investments. Let’s put an end to these dirty and ridiculous practices in Nigerian cinema. #FairCinema AVeryDirtyChristmas”

WOW.

Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject to several controversies.

The origin of the term “Nollywood” remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002 article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema.

Charles Igwe noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times. The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to be a portmanteau of the words “Nigeria” and “Hollywood”, the American major film hub.

Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are distinct film industries – each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents. However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking and filmmakers from most of the regional industries.