Why comedy movies for Nollywood no be laughing matter
Dis December, no be only Christmas Nigerians everywhere dey wait for; na di part 2 of hit movie, 'Di Wedding Party', wey go enter cinema dis month dey give Father Christmas serious competition.
Di part 1 of 'Di Wedding Party' don become di movie wey don hammer pass for Nigeria cinema history Dis time last year, di part 1 of di movie make Nigerians laugh yakata so tey e hammer more than N450 million for Nigeria cinemas alone, according to di movie producer wey be ELFIKE Film Collective. Di Nigeria film industry wey dem dey call 'Nollywood' get reason to do thanksgiving because since cinema return back Nigeria few years ago, Nollywood don receive serious baptism sotay, e don begin dey enjoy new life all over Africa. Africans like to watch local movies well-well Why comedy movies popular? Sabi people for movie industry talk say as dem dey show movies for Cinema instead of DVD na one of di reasons why movie quality don dey better every-every year but dem also notice say na comedy movies dey make money pass. Apart from 'Di Wedding Party', wey be number one for cinema box office for Nigeria history, di number 2 and 3 na also comedy movies wey be 'A Trip To Jamaica' wey Ayo Makun a.k.a AY di comedian produce, followed by 'Wives on Strike' wey Omoni Oboli produce, according to di oga of Filmone Distribution, Moses Babatope. Film Expert Etim Effiong (left) as im dey for movie location for South Africa Etim Effiong wey be film expert talk say: "e dey easy to watch comedy movies because e no too dey hard person to follow." "Africans and Nigerians already get too much palava wey dem dey carry for dia head everyday, so wen dem enter cinema, na to relax dem dey find, dem no want stress to dey do 1+1 on top movie," na wetin Effiong add for di matter. E go good make Nigeria cinema get assorted tori apart from comedy? One popular proverb wey Africans dey like talk be say: "if something no be spoil, why person go wan repair am?" Dis na verse for di secret bible wey Nollywood movie producers and movie distributors wey dey in charge of cinemas, don begin dey use well-well. One movie producer wey BBC Pidgin speak with (wey no wan gree make we talk im name) say when im go meet movie distributor say im wan release im movie for cinema, dem dey tell am say if e no be comedy, dem no want. Even top film producer like Kunle Afolayan wey dey do serious drama movies, release im own comedy movie 'Omugwo' dis year. Top Nollywood movie producer Mo Abudu na im dey behind di Wedding Party film Rosana George-Hart, wey dey work with Silverbird Cinemas, talk say even though distributors like movie wey dem sure say go get profit, e no mean say na only comedy movie dem want. "Film producers fit do any kind of movie bring come our cinema," na so she talk. '"Whether na drama or action we no mind but since our customers dey enjoy comedy plenty, e no go bad if producers find space pepper dia drama movie with small comedy, dis formula na win-win for everybodi." But no be everybodi dey gree with dis kain tori. Effiong believe say, di only way Nollywood go grow enter Europe, na if Nollywood dey make different films, serious films with separate ingredient wey people for abroad go also fit enjoy. E say "plenty movies wey Nollywood suppose dey do no dey happen because producers dey feel say dem fit no go make profit; dis na serious wahala because na dis kain movies dey teach people about things like culture and tradition." "Wey di movies about our history, about science and technology, about even di civil war, wey go make us understand wetin happen, why e take happen and how we go make sure e no go happen again?" "Comedy movies get limit to di kain thing tori wey e fit show people and e dey very dangerous if we continue to dey follow dis strategy," na how Effiong talk im mind. Film producer Kenneth Gyang say producers no suppose limit demself. Award-winning film producer Kenneth Gyang talk say Nigerians dey enjoy any kain movie, whether na comedy or tragedy, so long as e good. "No be lie say e easy to promote comedy films when e don enter cinema, but film distributors don dey lazy when time reach to promote other movies like drama." "But Mo Abudu, wey be one of di producers of 'Di Wedding Party' don prove say she fit sell anything, whether na comedy or drama like di drama movie 'Fifty' wey popular wen e reach cinema for 2015." Gyang say di two main things wey dey make movies popular na if di movie get good tori and if di producer and distributor promote am well. "If you fit get dis two things correct, na customers go use dia own mouth sell di movie for you," Gyang talk finish.