2024 IWD: Joy Odiete: Breaking gender barriers in film distribution in Africa
BY ORIAKU IJELE
Indeed the story of African women breaking barriers in tough business circuits, as film distribution embodies, cannot be complete without this Delta State born woman of substance called Joy Efe Odiete.
As the world marks the International Women’s Day this week, it is noteworthy to recognise that Joy has excelled in a business environment, dominated by men. How did she do this with her company, Blue Pictures, a frontline content distribution outfit in sub-Saharan Africa?
“I think the initial feeling, was a daunting one, as it is a field, less travelled by women, let alone establishing a business whose core is distribution. Predominantly, the men lead conversations in this field even in the international market, not everyone is female.
So to answer your question, I would say it is a great feeling, knowing that a woman too can create a table to sit at and not just looking to sit at the table.
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“There were, and still are ceilings that need to break especially in the film marketing business. For me, it was mostly about getting the funding required to scale the business.
The Nigerian system is really not built to encourage entrepreneurs as it took my business well over 5 to 10years to attract the attention of the Nigerian banks and pro-entrepreneurship organisations; the international market actually took more notice of the business before the traction began in Nigeria. So, funding is one ceiling.”
As the head of Blue Pictures, award-winning, Joy Efe Odiete holds two degrees in Business Studies and Marketing. She is a member of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria and has over 15 years’ experience in the film industry across Africa.
She rose through the ranks to reach the prominent position of Head of Operations for NuMetro Film Distribution and in 2011, launched her very own independent film distribution company in a male-dominated industry.
Blue Pictures Entertainment has since grown to become the number 1 leading independent entertainment company in West Africa. Her portfolio comprises a long list of the world’s most successful studio titles, distributed across Africa on behalf of major studios, including Warner Brothers Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Fox, NuMetro Studios, Eros International, Studio Carnal, FilmFinity, Gravel Road Distribution, Black Sheep Entertainment and a number of Independent studios in the US, UK & South Africa.
She has recorded major successes for foreign studios with franchise titles such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Thor, Avengers, Batman, Iron Man and has broken box office records with the runaway success, Black Panther, amongst many more. In 2018, Blue Pictures strategically ventured into exhibition with the setup of Blue Pictures Cinema.
