Nigerian movie content has improved over time—-Moses Babatope

Moses Babatope is the Group Executive Director/ COO FilmOne and a Co-Founder of Filmhouse & FilmOne. For the last 15 years he has a proven track record as a film distribution strategist, in the U.K. releasing Nigerian content and in Nigeria running Filmone. Experienced Odeon UCI manger in the U.K. A judge at the screen international awards and a producer. Cornered at the grand premier of the movie ‘My Wife & I; Moses talks about the future of cinemas in Nigeria, productions and other sundry issues.

Journey into Filmhouse and FilmOne……

We were a bunch of Nigerians that had worked together for several years with the biggest cinema chain in Europe called Odeon UCI Cinemas. We always had a passion for Nigeria, and sometime in 2006 a core of us started discussing the idea of setting up cinemas in Nigeria. This was against the backdrop of the popularity of Nigerian films in the UK at the time, mainly on VCDs and DVDs. We had succeeded in showing some of these films in our cinemas by creating events around the screenings, inviting the key cast and having a red carpet for guests to feel special and take pictures. My partners Kene Mkparu and Kene Okwuosa took the bold step to move to Nigeria in 2008 to set up Genesis Deluxe Cinemas (now Genesis Cinemas). They left in 2010 and 2011 respectively to set up Filmhouse and we opened the first 2 locations in December 2012. I joined the team in 2013, having held the growing international front for Nollywood films while my partners were developing the structure for cinema exhibition in Nigeria. We set up FilmOne Distribution in 2014 and the Production arm followed in January 2015.

We had the challenge of the cinema going culture. .

Even though the country had a history of cinemas in the 60s to the 80s, military rule, the deteriorating economy and lack of transparency in the sector at the time, meant that a lot of the locations had to close because they could not access content and the country was not conducive for such a business. This led to an almost 20 year gap before a modern cinema was built in the country in VI, Lagos called Silverbird Cinema. Slowly but surely, Nigerians are getting used to having cinema going as a viable and enjoyable entertainment option. There was also the problem of Finance. We faced challenges of sourcing finance even though we were experienced. The fact that we were new meant that we represented huge risk to fund managers. Through prudent management of meagre resources and maximizing opportunities, we were able to secure private equity financing in 2014 which ultimately led to our expansion as a business thereby attaining market leading status as the number one cinema chain in West Africa.

On the success of cinemas now….

We have increased the number of cinemas and locations. We have 9 cinemas in 6 cities in Nigeria; the best geographical spread of any of the cinema chains in Nigeria. Filmhouse also enjoys a large market share. Due to our strategic positioning and operations, we have held the number one position for cinema attendance and box office for two consecutive years, and this trend looks to stay for the considerable future. In terms of pricing, we have managed to be the most affordable cinema company in the country, delivering unparalleled guest service and memorable cinema experience. Part of the successes of Filmhouse is the establishment of West African first and only IMAX cinema. In August 2016, we unveiled the first IMAX cinema in Lagos, Nigeria, and West Africa. Our IMAX screen in Lagos is described as one of the best in the world. We boast of the most experienced management team in the sector. Of all the cinema companies in the industry, Filmhouse is blessed to have over 100 years of Management experience in cinema business gained in mature markets like the UK, US, Spain, France and Italy.

Challenges of film distribution in Nigeria. . 

It ranges from low skill base in cinema exhibition and film distribution to cost of marketing and advertising, access to data, cinema going culture, limited screens and locations, piracy, censorship, lack of enough quality content, lack of government support for sector and absence of trade or lobby body to protect the interest of distributor and influence legislation.

The Nigerian Film Content has never been in the state that it is now. .

There is a better appreciation for Nigerian content by Nigerians and non-Nigerians now than ever before .The quality of production has improved dramatically and this has impacted positively on patronage and consequently the amount made at the box office. Also, there is more participation by corporate Nigerians in the sector in the form of sponsorships, product placements and activations. This never happened before. The social media has contributed immeasurably in terms of creating awareness of films being made and released. Film stars are engaging their fans more directly through cinema visits and in the process, increasing their followership as a result of their quality work. We are also at a stage where state of the art equipment are now being used for Nigerian film production, and more collaborations are happening, meaning that people are playing to their strength in the production process.

The future of cinemas in Nigeria. .

I think the future of cinemas in Nigeria will be the development and proliferation of community cinemas for the low end mass market crowd who are huge consumers of local content. This is what will get the cinema industry in Nigeria to fulfil its promising potential. The multiplex and luxury cinemas will also grow but at a slower pace than the community cinemas. As the economy improves, cinema will become a lifestyle product and culture for Nigerians to adopt.

At Filmhouse, we want to remain number one in West Africa. .

And also moving to other parts of Africa especially Central Africa, expanding in cinemas particularly community cinemas, opening at least two more IMAX locations in Nigeria, playing an active role in the development of the film industry in Nigeria. Also, at FilmOne, we want to remain the number one and best distributor in the region, taking up one or two more studios in addition to Fox, producing and distributing the best films in the territory, expanding international distribution base beyond diaspora to other mature markets like Europe and Asia.