CJ Obasi wants Nollywood's indie filmmakers to watch moneybags

CJ 'Fiery' Obasi has warned fellow independent Nollywood filmmakers to be more careful about the moneybags they allow to invest in their films.

The Ojuju director told LA Times in a recent interview that eagerness to find investors shouldn't blind creators from recognising red flags that could affect their projects.

He noted that such an oversight nearly ruined the history-making Sundance debut of his latest film, Mami Wata.

"We ran into a precarious situation with the French funder of the film. At some point, it got so bad that he was threatening the Sundance screening — can you imagine how crazy that is?

"The first Nigerian-based film to make it into Sundance, and you’re going to try and shut it down for no reason? That just shows you that some people, you might think they are for you but they are not; they are for themselves," Obasi said.

CJ Obasi's 'Mami Wata' made history in January 2023 as the first homegrown Nigerian film at Sundance [IMDB] Pulse Nigeria

The Juju Stories co-creator also called on independent filmmakers not to allow themselves be shoved into the background.

He charged indie creators to keep fighting for mainstream attention because they deserve to be seen just as much as big-budget filmmakers.

Obasi said, "I think we are making cinema in its pure form even more than they (big-budget filmmakers) are and we deserve to be seen. We should fight for it.

"You shouldn't just give up and say the big guys have won. Let's keep scraping for those screens, and I think we will eventually win because people want to see something meaningful.

"The aim is to offer experiences that people have never seen before. To me, that is what cinema is all about."

Obasi's Mami Wata, named after the African mythical water spirit, enjoyed impressive critical reception at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January, and won a special jury prize for its striking cinematography.

The black and white drama is set in a mythical village and explores the fate of a local deity and her followers in a rapidly-changing world. The film's cast includes Rita Edochie, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Evelyne Ily Juhen, and Kelechi Udegbe.

Mami Wata, produced by Oge Obasi, is scheduled for a September theatrical release in Nigeria.