Nigerian filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, has opened up on why he released his 2016 blockbuster THE CEO on global video sharing platform YouTube.
In a chat with Bidemi Dairo on Channels Television’s entertainment show, the filmmaker released his movie, giving it a new lease on life.
This move, according to him, is driven by a desire to give a larger audience an opportunity to enjoy the film.
“A good film is meant to be seen by people,” he emphasises. “Any good film stands a chance of being relevant forever.”
Afolayan talked about the challenge of film distribution across Africa.
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According to him, when THE CEO was first released, it didn’t get cinema distribution in other African countries due to the lack of attention distributors give to countries outside of Nigeria and South Africa.
“As far as commercial content is concerned, Nigeria and South Africa are in the forefront— and then maybe Kenya… most of the other African countries have smaller numbers so distributors don’t pay a lot of attention,” he explained.
DSTV’s Africa Magic initially took on the film, leveraging its reach across African countries and later Netflix gave it a global stage. Now Afolayan has made it forever accessible by releasing it on YouTube — free of charge.
Afolayan also weighed in on the importance of creating films for long term retention and not just for commercial purposes. He referenced classic Nollywood films like Mortal Inheritance, which are now difficult to find and can’t be converted into higher quality because they were produced only for commercial purposes.
“When you’re making a film don’t make it all about the quick money that you have made, look at the future,” he stated, stressing the importance of thinking beyond quick financial returns.
By putting THE CEO on YouTube, Afolayan has not only made a statement about accessibility but also ensured that his work remains relevant and available for generations to come.
The post VIDEO: Why I Released My 2016 Blockbuster ‘THE CEO’ On YouTube – Afolayan appeared first on Channels Television.
