Renowned filmmaker, Tunde Kelani, has been away from the movie scenes for some time now. Years after serving as the chairman of the Nigerian Film and Video Sensors Board, he resigned to work as a stakeholder. Many however, wonder why he hasn’t worked on any movie for some years now.
In a chat with Punch, the thespian has revealed the reason behind his absence from the movie scenes. According to him, he is being weary of movie pirates. There is no point making movies to be pirated as soon as it is released, he said.
Excerpts from Tunde Kelani’s interview below;
My plan is to continue working. Being a member of NFVCB wasn’t a full-time job; we were just expected to hold meetings three times a year. As a matter of fact, there was no time I left my job as a filmmaker. But for the last four years, I have not released any new production. I have movies I can release but it wouldn’t be wise to do that because it will be pirated within 24 hours. It is not sustainable to keep working for pirates because we invest a lot in our movies.
Piracy has affected the traditional DVD distribution network; so, we have to look towards technology and other platforms. This year, I think we will have solutions. Being a member of NFVCB wasn’t financially rewarding as most thought; it was a service to the country. We were supposed to formulate policies that would support the movie industry.
I resigned because I felt I could do more as a stakeholder. I felt I would be more useful to the industry if I was not part of the board.