SEUNMANUEL FALEYE takes a look at the controversy surrounding the qualities of some of the Nollywood films on the global streaming platform, Netflix.
For Nollywood, Nigeria’s burgeoning filmmaking venture, the more things seem to get better, the more they remain stagnant. For instance, a little over two decades back when the revival that birthed Nollywood started, the most critical problem practitioners battled with was piracy.
Although there was also the issue of poor quality; most productions were subject to various levels of illegal exploitation by criminally minded people.
This eventually led to a lull that sent many emergent merchants-turned-film producers and marketers out of business. These were initially produced on Video Home System(VHS) cassette tapes and Compacts. Eventually, they became Digital Versatile Disks(DVD).
The biting effect of piracy has, however, began to reduce with the adoption of innovative technologies that have provided alternative distribution channels for filmmakers in Nigeria over the past couple of years.
First, it was the gradual rebirth of the cinema tradition, which provided an outlet for many filmmakers. But soon again, complains got rife about the exploitation of filmmakers by cinema owners as well.
This, added to the question of multiple taxations and the few number of screens available across the country dampened enthusiasm about the prospects of cinemas, even though it remains one of the most veritable outlets available till date.
Enter the opportunities that attend the internet…
One of the producers who faced the tyranny of cinema owners was Blessing Egbe, who fell out with the disturbing cinema of her film, Two Brides and a Baby after a breakdown in confidence.
The fireworks which followed were accompanied by a threat to blacklist the producer from releasing films in the cinema. Egbe explained in past interviews that this necessity forced her into seeking another outlet for subsequent productions. This made her take Lekki Wives unto streaming site, distrify.com.
Before then, Jason Njoku, a United Kingdom-based Nigerian had established a subscription video on demand (VOD) site known as Iroko TV, a platform that positioned itself as a premier streaming site in Africa.
Iroko also had the company of other sites like Ibakatv and Blessing Egbe’s bconcept network. The platform does not just significantly cut off domestic piracy, they also expose Nigerian productions to viewers across the globe.
In addition to the fore listed outlets, filmmakers in Nigeria have the benefit of what could be described as the country’s version of the studio system with DSTV’s Africa Magic and Iroko TV channels leading the park.
These outlets started out by acquiring the broadcast rights of films. With time, however, they began to produce original stories by the commissioning of independent producers and directors for sums said to be anything from two million, five hundred thousand naira and four million naira (N2.5m- N4m).
Sources, however, told eelive.ng during the week that increasing low quality and the deluge of offerings available has brought a significant crash in the financial considerations attached to these opportunities.
This pretty much is the situation that currently exists with Nollywood’s relationship with Netflix.
Netflix-Nollywood Romance
With demographic penetration in about 190 countries and a subscriber base averaging 160 million, Netflix is the world’s leading streaming service platform. Two serial entrepreneurs Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings founded the company in 1997.
Netflix took its first Nigerian film in 2015, 18 years after its establishment. At the time, the streaming service acquired rights to broadcast blockbusters such as Kunle Afolayan’s, October 1st, Biyi Bandele’s Fifty and others. This was after these movies had already made rounds in Nigerian cinemas.
During the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018, the platform announced what looked like its biggest Nollywood asset in Nigeria. This was with the acquisition of worldwide exclusive distribution rights for Genevieve Nnaji’s directorial debut, Lionheart in 2018, a move which was to further deepen Netflix’s relationship with Africa’s most vibrant motion pictures industry.
Why the deal on Lionheart was worth all the rave it garnered; Wunmi Ralph, a Nigerian distributor who acquires film contents for multiple platforms locally and internationally explains this to eelive.ng:
“… as far as both categories of acquisition go; Netflix Originals give Netflix the right to exclusively become the sole distributor of a film. Meanwhile, other films on their platform are non-exclusive.
A bit of history…
Before the current trend, Netflix Original productions were funded and owned by Netflix, but that is not the case anymore. There are numerous content on Netflix now that they did not create or from scratch.
A movie like ‘Beast of No Nation‘ was not produced by Netflix. They acquired it after and became the exclusive distributor globally. That was the nature of the deal they had with Lionheart.”
eelive.ng was told during the week that Netflix may have acquired close to 100 Nollywood titles since its first move in 2015. Titles currently on the platform include: Ebony Life’s Wedding Party (1 and II ), Fifty, and Chief Daddy.
Also on this list are Kunle Afolayan’s Figurine, Mokalik, The Bridge and The CEO; and AY Makun’s Merry Men: Real Yoruba Demons.
There is also Bolanle Austin-Peter’s 93 Days; Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys and Genevieve Nnaji’s Road to Yesterday and Lionheart among others.
As of December 2019, Nollywood titles on the platform numbered about 43. including Crazy, Lovely, Cool by Obi Emelonye; which is Nollywood’s first series on Netflix.
But it is not an entirely happy story…
Recently, an actor, Bobby Obodo, called out producers of some of the films on Netflix, describing some of the Nigerian films on the platform as “painful to watch.”
The actor suggested that some Nigerian filmmakers put out their content on Netflix only for money and bragging rights. He admonished that Nollywood must pay urgent attention to sifting the film presented to this platform for the preservation of the industry and Nigeria’s integrity.
His social media post received mixed reactions from practitioners and film enthusiasts alike with arguments raging on days on end. However, eelive.ng’s investigations revealed that there are deep-seated misgivings about Nollywood and the growing Netflix interest.
A couple of filmmakers who spoke to us with requests for anonymity validated Obodo’s assertion; some of the films on the global platform do not reflect the best of Nigeria’s potential.
They argue that since Netflix has viewers all over the world; it should exhibit only the best of Nigerian films so that film lovers do not go away with the wrong impression about the capacity of Nigerian filmmakers to produce quality work.
Other opinions
Multiple respondents hold the view that Nigeria needs to be a lot more discretionary about films that go on Netflix. They explained that most of the “low-quality” movies sell for peanuts and have started to affected prospects that quality films would get better bargains from the streaming platform.
One of the respondents told us that “ while a film like Lionheart made tens of thousands of dollars from Netflix. I know for a fact that some of the films that people are now complaining about go for as low as three or four thousand dollars!
“You can imagine how bad that is for Nigerian producers. If people go to sell their films for Netflix for as low as that; how do people who invest so much time, energy and money on their films get to sell and recoup their money.”
Those who oppose the current state of affairs are also unhappy that there is a lot of concentration on films that have the seal of the distribution outlet known as FilmOne on Netflix.
One of our sources asked; “why is it that well over 90 percent of the films that you find on Netflix came from FilmOne. Aside from the fact that there are a lot of substandard Nigerian films on Netflix; one also wonders why it seems that there is a monopoly as per the supply of films to the platform.”
What others say…
But some filmmakers do not see the point in Obodo’s argument about poor quality films on Netflix. CEO of Big Sam Media, whose film Seven and a Half Dates is on the platform; does not agree to claims that there are many poor-quality films on Netflix.
While conceding that it is within the right of people to express their opinions about movies; he pointed out that people are largely subjective about the appreciation of films. As such, there cannot really be a universal definition of what is substandard.
Concerning the preponderance of movies with FilmOne signature on Netflix; Olatunji does not see the point in the argument of critics. He opined that Film One realized the potential of the industry and started investing much earlier than most of its peers.
He gave the example of the Chinese investment in Nollywood; which is a result of the proactive disposition of promoters of FilmOne.
Another opinion…
Another filmmaker who does not want to be named took the same standpoint. He explained that the number of FilmOne films on “Netflix only shows that the organization is doing its job as a distributor. And the question we should ask is what other distributors were doing when FilmOne was making these deals.
“Besides, FilmOne said at the beginning of next year that they had a catalogue of about 60 films for sale. So I don’t think there is anything suspicious in this move”.
While agreeing that quite a number of Nollywood films on Netflix were of poor quality; this producer explains that there is a good mix of good quality films that speaks well of Nigeria. He clarified, however, that the “only new challenge now is Netflix isn’t paying well anymore.
“This is due to the fact that some of these films went for cheap prices. Therein lies the problem that concerns me and serious producers.”
Yet, another producer suggests that not all Nollywood films on Netflix speak to the potential of the industry. He, however, clarified that there is a possibility that these criticisms may be borne out of sheer envy from people left out of the opportunities that Netflix currently presents
And that is one of the other things that stand in the way of Nollywood’s progress; the failure to present a common front as well as divisiveness encouraged by all forms of primordial considerations.
Conclusion
Netflix presents a unique opportunity for Nollywood to expand. But there are serious concerns that industry fails to put the best foot forward and agree on the common good; as opposed to the profiteering of individuals.
This might ruin this grand opportunity. Several sources testified to the reduction in the cost of acquisition of films; which is invariably a blow on improving capacity!