Genevieve Nnaji Slams Film One Over Lion Heart

Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji has slammed Nigeria’s top movie distributor, Film One Production for refusing to show her movie, ‘Lion Heart’ at their cinema chains across the country because the company has no stake in the movie acquired by Netflix few weeks ago.
This is what her representative Ugoma Adegoke said on behalf of the actress over the issue that reportedly delayed her directorial debut from showing in cinemas.
“It is sad to discover that the very people who pose as Nollywood supporters and promoters of their content are the very same people frustrating the efforts of film makers. They have currently invested in a couple of movies showing in the cinemas and want to protect their assets at all cost.
“Monopolising the market this season is their strategy to recouping their investment, it’s like 2004 all over again when we were all banned from the industry, except this is not 2004. This is 2018, the sheer audacity.
“It is clear to me that the interest of the consumers is not of utmost priority as advertised. These cinema chains are only here to make money off of struggling artistes, while protecting their investments in the films they are affiliated with” the major reason cinema chains globally do not produce their own movies is to avoid bias.
“Competing with the very people you are supposedly a distributor for a down right ridiculous and shameful to say the least. It is not enough that they buy out their own tickets and manipulate the members and time slots to keep up this false imagery of making box office hits. They prevent film makers from releasing their products to manipulate foot traffic as well. Thereby forcing consumers to watch only that which is available to them not what they actually want to see.
“It seekens me to think that if this could be done to me (twin if I mangadd), then I am only imagine what many struggling independent film makers must be passing through in the hands of these industry vultures.”