Award-winning Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has revealed he would only fully embrace cinema releases again if the industry adopts sustainable promotional strategies that don’t require filmmakers to exhaust themselves with aggressive marketing tactics like social media dance videos.
Speaking at the Lagos Business of Film Summit, Afolayan addressed the increasing pressure on creators to personally drive ticket sales through constant content creation and promotional stunts.
“I was among the pioneers of the cinema movement in Nigeria, dancing and promoting before it became the norm. I even danced in London, not just here at home,” he explained, reflecting on his journey in the industry.
The filmmaker recalled the grueling promotional cycle he endured in 2006, describing it as both physically and emotionally draining. “I did all the promotional runs back then, and it was exhausting. If you can guarantee I won’t have to dance to sell a film, I’m ready to make one. We must find alternative strategies. How do we market our work without burning out?” he questioned.
Afolayan expressed admiration for colleagues who maintain relentless promotional schedules. “I honestly don’t know how people like Funke Akindele do it—creating skits daily, constantly changing costumes. That’s just not something I can sustain,” he admitted.
Despite his reservations about current promotional demands, Afolayan confirmed he has multiple film projects in development, some for over four years, which he’s prepared to release under more sustainable marketing frameworks.
This isn’t the first time the filmmaker has voiced concerns about the industry’s economics. At the watch party for his Netflix series Aníkúlápó: The Ghouls Awaken, he previously highlighted the disparity between celebrated box office numbers and filmmakers’ actual earnings, stating: “I don’t want two billion streams at cinemas only to receive ten million naira.”
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