In the ‘New Nollywood’, a modern variant of the
Nigerian movie industry, I am amazed at how often social media is flooded with fresh
movie alerts. We have been ushered into a divergent dispensation of the cinemas
which our parents enjoyed in Nigeria, based on the consistent display of
contemporary work. In the midst of all the innovation, there are some movie
makers who stand out with the quality and spread of their work, one of such is
Ike Nnaebue; a screenwriter, singer/songwriter, producer and director. He is
also the CEO of Treasure Wells Academy as well as Passion8 Communications and has
produced, directed or written pieces which have received accolades in Nigeria
and the diaspora. His most recent accomplishments
with ‘Loving Daniella’ which received three nominations at the Las Vegas
Film Festival and produced the winner of the Best
Actress category as well as ‘Dr. Mekam’ which won the Best Screenplay and
produced the Best Actor in the Nollywood Travel Film Festival early this year, have
heightened our expectations as we await more from this all-rounder and his team
before the year wanes. Join me as we take a short trip into the world of Ike
Nnaebue with this interview.
In addition to all
the feathers you have added to your cap, I want to congratulate you on the recent
awards won for your movies – ‘Dr. Mekam’ and ‘Loving Daniella’. How do you
feel?
I feel very
encouraged. I feel very excited, I feel reassured, for me awards serve like
amazing positive feedbacks. I feel honored.
Nigerian moviemakers now
showcase their work before global audiences, but you seem to have an
international flare; you do not just shoot in Nigeria for the world, you shoot
anywhere in the world. Could you let us in on your vision? What do you hope to
do with your work and what drives you?
I see myself as a
filmmaker first and foremost. Not a Nollywood filmmaker or anything like that.
A filmmaker is a filmmaker regardless of where he or she is from. Having said
that, I must emphasize that I am very proud of my Nigerian heritage and I am
extremely very proud of Nollywood but I don’t want to ever be tagged. I am a
global citizen but my films will continue to tell the African story on the
global stage
You are a director,
producer, scriptwriter, singer/songwriter, school director, trainer and tutor.
How do you hold it all together and still write excellent scripts? What is a
typical day like for you?
I love work, I love to
create, I love to impact, I love to share. A typical day for me is a lot of
time spent on my laptop in my home office/studio. It gets overwhelming
sometimes but the fact that I totally enjoy every bit of all that I do makes it
very bearable on the days I get too much on my plate. Other days I usually just
have a schedule I follow. Being a director, producer, scriptwriter,
singer/songwriter, school director, trainer and tutor is really very seamless
for me. I don’t even realize when I cross any of the lines.
There are some
recurrent faces in your movies. I do not want to mention names, but do you
think you are attached to certain actors? If yes, why?
Lol, relationships are
very important for me. So yes I do have my favorites but you must also admit
that I work with new people all the time as well. (smile)
You started out with
music, now you are knee deep in film. Is it safe to say you have picked film
over music?
I would say I’ve
always been a story teller even with my music. Ultimately I just love telling
stories. I’m just using one medium more than the other at the moment.
When you went to film
school in Jos, did you expect to be all that you are today?
I’ve always been taught
to aim for the zenith of anything I get into. I’m an incurable optimist and so
yes I’ve always wanted to be the best. To belong to the top echelon of any
industry I find myself in.
The movie industry is
one of the most enticing, globally; which is why a lot of people strive to get
into it any way they can. Are there difficult aspects of it that we do not see
from the outside?
The real truth is it
is a very challenging industry but it’s also quite a fun and awesome industry.
It takes a lot of hard work to break through and continue to be successful in
this industry but interestingly most people looking from outside-in only see
the fun and glam of the industry.
How did you carve a
niche for yourself in your industry?
After my training in
Jos, I started in the industry by working as a film editor because no one would
give me a chance to direct. I figured working as an editor would put me in
direct proximity with producers and other Directors. I was constantly pushing
my scripts and ideas but I didn’t get any break for over ten years, but I
continued to stick to my gun and continued to work as an editor till my very
first break to direct a film came in 2013 via Uche Jombo studios and the rest
as they say is history and I am still even just getting started. (smile)
You are very good at
making movies for our viewing pleasure but when should we expect to see you on
the other side of the camera?
Lol, I have done some
acting o…Look out for “The Plan” an African Magic Original (smile).
Mr. Nnaebue has shown us through his success in the movie
industry, that you can be all you want to be wherever you are and encouraged us
to strive for excellence in whatever we find to do. What are you doing now?
Copyright (C) 2018 Omonefe O. Eruotor
First published on 28th May 2018 - ConnectNigeria
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