Nollywood heavyweights are calling out cinemas for sabotage. Producers Toyin Abraham, Niyi Akinmolayan, and Ini Edo allege that theaters are deliberately hurting their films with bad screening practices. Abraham, whose movie is Oversabi Aunty, claims cinemas give her terrible timeslots like 10 am and 9 pm, then sell tickets for other films to people in her screening hall. Akinmolayan, director of Colours of Fire, accuses venues of taking money for tickets but not showing the movie at all, threatening to name them publicly. First-time producer Ini Edo posted videos of audience complaints, calling the experience exhausting and accusing the industry of intentional frustration.
The issue centers on screen allocation during the crowded December season. The producers argue these tactics, including fake sold-out notices and just one showing a day, are a form of gatekeeping that costs them revenue. Each framed the struggle as a fight against a system designed to undermine their projects despite major personal investment. The public accusations highlight a deepening rift between content creators and exhibition platforms in Nigeria's film industry.
The issue centers on screen allocation during the crowded December season. The producers argue these tactics, including fake sold-out notices and just one showing a day, are a form of gatekeeping that costs them revenue. Each framed the struggle as a fight against a system designed to undermine their projects despite major personal investment. The public accusations highlight a deepening rift between content creators and exhibition platforms in Nigeria's film industry.
