Olumide Bola-Akindele has been in the film industry for over 20 years. He has produced many hit movies like Ibinabo, Dead Alive and Hands of God where he played a lead role, among other films. In this interaction with Solomon-Nda Isaiah during the last Abuja International Film Festival, that Nollywood has lost its place as far as film production was concerned among other sundry issues
Akindele says.
TIMA after three of its constituency did not hold last year. What happened?
It was a pity, TIMA could not hold last year; because we tried some of the places we thought financial help could come from but they disappointed us. You know, TIMA is not an award that you could hold with N2 or 3 million. So, last year the power was not with us. Hence, we decided to postpone the award till this year.
Is there anything you missed not doing the award last year?
A lot, because the whole of our movie industry especially our stars and those behind the camera were highly disappointed. And it is sad that we could not hold the award. I got a lot of calls from many people who wanted to know why the award could not hold. I have to start telling them the reason.
What are the things to look forward to and where will it be held?
TIMA this year will be held at city mall, Lagos, on December 8. Aside that, TIMA is not a day thing; we are going to have a pre award night two weeks before the award. After the award proper, there is going to be an award party right at the venue of the award around there. Though, we are still looking up to people for help because TIMA is still a baby. It's just four years old. Though it started before that time, 2007, but we still need help from individuals and corporate bodies and government to come to our aids. But thank God we have somebody who has come to TIMA's aid who believed in what TIMA is doing.
I also want to thank my Ogas, like Fidelis Duker, Andy Amanechi, Frank. I was in my house when they called me that there was this body that is recognising anybody or group that is doing a festival. (Gov. Akpabio of Cross River State was behind this). So, they give N1 million to anybody organising an award, and TIMA happened to be among them. So, apart from that, we have not really gotten any assistance from anybody. It has always been self project from Olumide Bola-Akindele. I have been spending my money on this project. So far, I have spent over N20 million on TIMA.
Since TIMA is an indigenous thing, are you not planning to host it in another state in the north or in the east?
Actually, we even had a proposal from one of the states in the north. But for the security situation there, we can t go. And let me also tell you that TIMA is not a Nigerian thing; it is indigenous which means, it can be held anywhere. Be it Brazil, Korea, Argentina, Ethiopia, Ghana or Kenya. Let me also tell you that next year's TIMA will hold either in Kenya or Ghana.
You are no doubt a popular figure in Nollywood. Please, tell us more about yourself.
Well, let me start by introducing myself. My name is Olumide Bola-Akindele. I'm an actor, a film director and a producer. I have been in this business since 1991, which means I have been in this business for over 20 years. But we thank God that it (the film industry) is putting food on our table. Though, the industry is not where it suppose to be, at least, not to our satisfaction because we call ourselves number three in the world but we are not where we suppose to be. Even Ghana that started after us are now far ahead of us while we are now behind. We can't even compare ourselves with them.
They have gone far ahead of us. But let's talk about this industry some of us started at the beginning when the industry was just evolving. I don't know who you will mention that doesn't know my name. People like us right from movies like Ibinabo, Dead Alive, Hand of God. You know these are movies that really made their marks in the industry. I could remember when I sold Ibinabo and I made over N5 million. That is when I can say I made my first million. We made money that time, but now I can even be proud of making a movie and make a profit of over N500, 000.
Are you saying you did not make more money than from Ibinabo in your hit movie, Atopinpin, where you play a lead role?
I like that question. You see, that did not fetch me any good money. The only thing that I could say I gained from that film was fame. I could remember when I was in Dubai with many renowned and popular artistes and I was picked out from among them and people were shouting "don jaz". But I am telling you the truth now that Alawaye, has not paid me my money up till now. The film was shot in 2009. I also gave him another film like Lolade, Ayomi. Our intention was to be in business together, but at the end of the day they like to send you back to your village. That is another story for another day anyway.
Are you saying, marketers are the major problem the industry is having?
I am not saying that. They were before, because they sold our birthrights to the Alaba marketers, the pirates, but now they are not because they too are now suffering from it. Unlike before, now they are not looking good and chubby. They are now looking tattered, unkempt andare now keeping a low profile. Imagine you did a film for a million naira, and you went to give it to a marketer, and the marketer was giving you N700, 000 for the film! And since you don't have any other job, and you want your face to still be relevant in the industry, you don't have any choice than to give it out. But thank God that people like us still have one or two things that still fetch us money and still make us to move on.
As I am talking to you now, I still have about three movies at Idumota that are yet to be released and the marketer is not ready to release the movies in the next two or three months, saying the market is bad. The problem is not Alaba marketers now, because, I can t understand why a movie will be released in the morning and in the afternoon of the same day, you will see it in a four-in-one DVD. I don't want to believe they don't know anything about this, because those who are printing the pirated works are not from heaven, they are with us here. They should search themselves, that thing was not dubbed in heaven. They should task themselves and ask themselves. You can look out for these guys and talk to them. Though Rome was not build in a day, I believe we shall get there.
Are saying you saying TIMA is even ahead of AMAA in terms of conception?
Yes, I'm sure. Fidelis Duker, Sunny Macdon Ebere and some other people in the industry will testify to this. They were all aware of it. I have this plan of TIMA since 2000. But it was in 2010 that I decided to do the maiden edition and I must tell you, nobody gave me anything for the successful hosting of the award, except Almighty God who stood behind me. And I know how much I spent on that award; I have not even recovered financially. It couldn't hold last year but this year we are on it; we've even gotten some corporate sponsors. The award is all about all kinds of language from Africa: Ibo, Hausa, Ibibio, Efik, Ebira, Yoruba and even others from outside Nigeria. It is not restricted to Nigerian languages alone.
What have been the challenges so far, I mean on TIMA?
As you know, in any project or business, or even life itself, finance is always the main problem. And apart from money, getting responce from people is also difficult. Another thing is getting people to come and work with you.
Why did you come up with TIMA?
We are not just holding TIMA because other people are holding awards. We want to make a statement of our own and do an award that will be accepted all over the world. TIMA is just an award that is intended to stand out and I believe we will soon get there. Even last year when we didn't hold the award, we got a lot of nominees. We don't want TIMA to be a bi-annual award, but an annual award and with God on our side, it has come to stay.
It was a pity, TIMA could not hold last year; because we tried some of the places we thought financial help could come from but they disappointed us. You know, TIMA is not an award that you could hold with N2 or 3 million. So, last year the power was not with us. Hence, we decided to postpone the award till this year.
Is there anything you missed not doing the award last year?
A lot, because the whole of our movie industry especially our stars and those behind the camera were highly disappointed. And it is sad that we could not hold the award. I got a lot of calls from many people who wanted to know why the award could not hold. I have to start telling them the reason.
What are the things to look forward to and where will it be held?
TIMA this year will be held at city mall, Lagos, on December 8. Aside that, TIMA is not a day thing; we are going to have a pre award night two weeks before the award. After the award proper, there is going to be an award party right at the venue of the award around there. Though, we are still looking up to people for help because TIMA is still a baby. It's just four years old. Though it started before that time, 2007, but we still need help from individuals and corporate bodies and government to come to our aids. But thank God we have somebody who has come to TIMA's aid who believed in what TIMA is doing.
I also want to thank my Ogas, like Fidelis Duker, Andy Amanechi, Frank. I was in my house when they called me that there was this body that is recognising anybody or group that is doing a festival. (Gov. Akpabio of Cross River State was behind this). So, they give N1 million to anybody organising an award, and TIMA happened to be among them. So, apart from that, we have not really gotten any assistance from anybody. It has always been self project from Olumide Bola-Akindele. I have been spending my money on this project. So far, I have spent over N20 million on TIMA.
Since TIMA is an indigenous thing, are you not planning to host it in another state in the north or in the east?
Actually, we even had a proposal from one of the states in the north. But for the security situation there, we can t go. And let me also tell you that TIMA is not a Nigerian thing; it is indigenous which means, it can be held anywhere. Be it Brazil, Korea, Argentina, Ethiopia, Ghana or Kenya. Let me also tell you that next year's TIMA will hold either in Kenya or Ghana.
You are no doubt a popular figure in Nollywood. Please, tell us more about yourself.
Well, let me start by introducing myself. My name is Olumide Bola-Akindele. I'm an actor, a film director and a producer. I have been in this business since 1991, which means I have been in this business for over 20 years. But we thank God that it (the film industry) is putting food on our table. Though, the industry is not where it suppose to be, at least, not to our satisfaction because we call ourselves number three in the world but we are not where we suppose to be. Even Ghana that started after us are now far ahead of us while we are now behind. We can't even compare ourselves with them.
They have gone far ahead of us. But let's talk about this industry some of us started at the beginning when the industry was just evolving. I don't know who you will mention that doesn't know my name. People like us right from movies like Ibinabo, Dead Alive, Hand of God. You know these are movies that really made their marks in the industry. I could remember when I sold Ibinabo and I made over N5 million. That is when I can say I made my first million. We made money that time, but now I can even be proud of making a movie and make a profit of over N500, 000.
Are you saying you did not make more money than from Ibinabo in your hit movie, Atopinpin, where you play a lead role?
I like that question. You see, that did not fetch me any good money. The only thing that I could say I gained from that film was fame. I could remember when I was in Dubai with many renowned and popular artistes and I was picked out from among them and people were shouting "don jaz". But I am telling you the truth now that Alawaye, has not paid me my money up till now. The film was shot in 2009. I also gave him another film like Lolade, Ayomi. Our intention was to be in business together, but at the end of the day they like to send you back to your village. That is another story for another day anyway.
Are you saying, marketers are the major problem the industry is having?
I am not saying that. They were before, because they sold our birthrights to the Alaba marketers, the pirates, but now they are not because they too are now suffering from it. Unlike before, now they are not looking good and chubby. They are now looking tattered, unkempt andare now keeping a low profile. Imagine you did a film for a million naira, and you went to give it to a marketer, and the marketer was giving you N700, 000 for the film! And since you don't have any other job, and you want your face to still be relevant in the industry, you don't have any choice than to give it out. But thank God that people like us still have one or two things that still fetch us money and still make us to move on.
As I am talking to you now, I still have about three movies at Idumota that are yet to be released and the marketer is not ready to release the movies in the next two or three months, saying the market is bad. The problem is not Alaba marketers now, because, I can t understand why a movie will be released in the morning and in the afternoon of the same day, you will see it in a four-in-one DVD. I don't want to believe they don't know anything about this, because those who are printing the pirated works are not from heaven, they are with us here. They should search themselves, that thing was not dubbed in heaven. They should task themselves and ask themselves. You can look out for these guys and talk to them. Though Rome was not build in a day, I believe we shall get there.
Are saying you saying TIMA is even ahead of AMAA in terms of conception?
Yes, I'm sure. Fidelis Duker, Sunny Macdon Ebere and some other people in the industry will testify to this. They were all aware of it. I have this plan of TIMA since 2000. But it was in 2010 that I decided to do the maiden edition and I must tell you, nobody gave me anything for the successful hosting of the award, except Almighty God who stood behind me. And I know how much I spent on that award; I have not even recovered financially. It couldn't hold last year but this year we are on it; we've even gotten some corporate sponsors. The award is all about all kinds of language from Africa: Ibo, Hausa, Ibibio, Efik, Ebira, Yoruba and even others from outside Nigeria. It is not restricted to Nigerian languages alone.
What have been the challenges so far, I mean on TIMA?
As you know, in any project or business, or even life itself, finance is always the main problem. And apart from money, getting responce from people is also difficult. Another thing is getting people to come and work with you.
Why did you come up with TIMA?
We are not just holding TIMA because other people are holding awards. We want to make a statement of our own and do an award that will be accepted all over the world. TIMA is just an award that is intended to stand out and I believe we will soon get there. Even last year when we didn't hold the award, we got a lot of nominees. We don't want TIMA to be a bi-annual award, but an annual award and with God on our side, it has come to stay.
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