Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has responded after filmmaker Kunle Afolayan shared strong opinions about film promotion and box office earnings.
Afolayan, in a recent interview, spoke about the pressure filmmakers face when promoting their movies, especially the expectation to dance and create viral content to sell cinema tickets. He described the process as exhausting.
He said,
“It is draining. I want to make a film if you guarantee me that I don’t have to dance to sell that film.”
The filmmaker also addressed the growing focus on box office figures, saying large earnings do not always translate into real financial benefit for the creators.
According to him,
“There’s no competition. I don’t want two billion in cinema, or even one billion, if I won’t make ten million from it.”
Although he did not mention any name, his comments came at a time when some Nollywood filmmakers have been breaking major cinema records through aggressive marketing and social media campaigns.
Shortly after his remarks circulated online, Funke Akindele appeared to respond with a pointed message believed to be directed at critics of modern promotion strategies.
She wrote, “I’m not the one hindering your progress. Ka rin ka po, yiye ni n ye ni.” Encouraging individuality, she added, “If you can’t beat them or join them, create your own path. No allow jealousy burn you. The sky is so big for everybody to fly.”
Funke also advised filmmakers to explore different strategies instead of complaining.
In her words, “Go ahead and create an alternative promotion or marketing strategy for promoting your business, or hire a company to handle it. You can do it! The opportunities are endless, and everyone has their own path.”
Her response has since sparked conversations online, with fans and industry watchers debating the balance between creative marketing, box office success, and actual financial returns for filmmakers.