Not all filmmakers are the same: Here’s a guide to knowing the difference

But anyone who has spent even a minute inside the movie industry knows there are as many kinds of filmmakers as there are stories to tell. 

Some live for the red carpets of Cannes, others for the popcorn queues at Ikeja City Mall. Some want to spark revolutions, while others just want to make you laugh on a Friday night after a long week.

Let’s take a closer look at the different “species” of filmmakers that roam the cinematic jungle.

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1. The arthouse auteurs 

Filmmakers whose work often premieres at film festivals like Cannes, Sundance, Berlinale, or TIFF.

These directors aren’t chasing box office numbers; they’re chasing form, aesthetics, and experimentation.

Their films are often slow-burning, layered with symbolism, or deliberately ambiguous. The audience for these films is niche: critics, cinephiles, and festival programmers who love cinema as an art form.

• Global Examples: Andrei Tarkovsky (Stalker), Wong Kar-Wai (In the Mood for Love), Chloé Zhao (Nomadland).
  

• Nollywood Examples: Abba Makama (The Lost Okoroshi), C.J. Obasi (Mami Wata).

Do they make money? Sometimes, if they snag a good distribution deal after a festival run. But that’s rarely the point. For them, the film is the artwork itself.

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2. The commercial crowd-pullers

On the other side are the filmmakers who live for box office numbers. These are the crowd-pullers who measure success by ticket sales, streaming deals, and sequel potential. Their goal: entertain as many people as possible.

• Global Examples: Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park), James Cameron (Avatar), Tyler Perry (Madea franchise).
  

• Nollywood Examples: Funke Akindele (Battle on Buka Street), AY Makun (30 Days in Atlanta), Kunle Afolayan (October 1, though he straddles both commercial and art).

Commercial doesn’t mean “low quality.” It simply means mass appeal, clear storylines, accessible humour, star power, and often a happy ending. They are the architects of blockbusters, and their films keep the industry financially alive.

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3. The Social Justice Filmmakers

For this group, film is not just entertainment; it’s a weapon. They make movies to spotlight injustice, expose corruption, or amplify marginalised voices. Their stories are urgent, political, and often controversial. 

These films don’t always rake in billions, but they change conversations. Sometimes, they even change laws.

• Global Examples:
  
  Ava DuVernay (13th, When They See Us), Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake), Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing).
  

• Nollywood Examples:
  
  Kenneth Gyang (Blood and Henna), Jadesola Osiberu (Gangs of Lagos, which highlighted issues of political thuggery), and Ishaya Bako (Fuelling Poverty).

Their audience may not be everyone, but their impact is undeniable.

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4. The Genre Specialists

Some filmmakers marry themselves to a genre and never let go. Horror, sci-fi, rom-com, musicals, you name it, there’s a filmmaker who builds their entire career around it.

• Horror Masters:
  
  Jordan Peele (Get Out), Tunde Kelani (often leans into folkloric mysticism).
  

• Rom-Com Lovers:
  
  Nancy Meyers (The Holiday), Nollywood’s Nollywood’s Niyi Akinmolayan (The Set Up, Prophetess).
  

• Action Junkies:
  
  Michael Bay (Transformers), Kemi Adetiba (King of Boys straddle crime and action.)

Audiences flock to them because they know what to expect, and the directors become synonymous with the genre.

5. The Experimental Mavericks

These are the wildcards. They don’t fit into arthouse or commercial moulds. They break rules, invent new forms, and sometimes confuse the hell out of audiences.

They may play with structure (non-linear narratives), technology (VR films), or even how audiences watch (interactive cinema).

• Global Examples:
  
  Lars von Trier (Dogville), Christopher Nolan (Inception, Tenet), Gaspar Noé (Enter the Void).
  

• Nollywood Examples:
  
  Abba Makama again (Green White Green), or even younger indie filmmakers playing with YouTube and web-based series.

You might not always “like” their films, but you’ll remember them.

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6. The Actor-Directors

A unique breed, these are actors who cross over into filmmaking, bringing their performance instincts with them. Their films often spotlight actors’ craft, emotional intensity, and character-driven plots. 

• Global Examples:
  
  Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Barbie), Ben Affleck (Argo), Denzel Washington (Fences).
  

• Nollywood Examples:
  
  Genevieve Nnaji (Lionheart), Ramsey Nouah (Living in Bondage: Breaking Free).

They bring star power, but also an insider’s understanding of what makes characters tick.

7. The Franchise Builders

These filmmakers aren’t content with just one movie; they build empires. They think in trilogies, spin-offs, and cinematic universes.

• Global Examples: Kevin Feige (Marvel)
  
  George Lucas (Star Wars), Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings).
  

• Nollywood Examples:
  
  Charles Okpaleke (Play Network Studios; remakes like Living in Bondage, Nneka the Pretty Serpent, Aki and Pawpaw).

Their art is in building worlds that audiences don’t just watch, but live in.

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8. The Documentarians

Not to be forgotten, these filmmakers work in nonfiction, capturing reality, history, and truth. Their work often straddles art and activism, and their films are vital for archiving national memory.

• Global Examples:
  
  Werner Herzog, Ava DuVernay (13th), Asif Kapadia (Amy).
  

• Nollywood Examples:
  
  Joel Kachi Benson (Daughters of Chibok, VR documentary), Femi Odugbemi (Makoko: Futures Afloat).

Documentary filmmakers may not always be mainstream, but their impact is often permanent.

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So, what kind of filmmaker matters the most?

The truth? They all do.

• The arthouse auteur pushes the boundaries of cinema as an art form.
  

• The commercial filmmaker keeps the industry financially afloat.
  

• The social justice director keeps the medium relevant to society’s biggest struggles.
  

• The genre specialists, the experimentalists, the actor-directors, the franchise-builders, the documentarians, all add colours to the ever-evolving canvas of film.

Cinema would be boring if everyone made the same kind of movie. The beauty of the industry is in its diversity.

At the end of the day, filmmakers, no matter their type, are storytellers. And the world will always need more stories.

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