Cornerstone took Tope Alabi from secular to gospel movies —Ajao

How long have you been in the movie industry?

I have spent some decades in the business of movie making. I was involved in secular films initially, I was with Abalaye Film, then Feyikogbon Film productions. Actually before I joined Feyikogbon Films in the 80s, I had my own group called Osupa Aiye Theatre Group, but after I gave my life to Christ, I left secular theatre. For me, acting is not a hobby but a calling though film for some people is merely a business. But on my part, it is a calling, ours is to liberate souls.

 

What challenges are peculiar to your genre of filmmaking?

I always tell people that gospel film is a different kind of production entirely because we have two different sets of people– those who have the calling and those who see it as a business and the truth is that those who have the calling are few while majority see it as a business venture. However, those who see it as a business don’t usually have the challenges those of us who see it as a calling experience. We face a lot of challenges both physical and spiritual. For instance, Atimole Alajobi, one of our films, garnered a lot of testimonies. I must tell you also that I have faced a lot, I was for 12 years without being diagnosed of any sickness. Another challenge we face is finance, gospel films don’t easily get financial backing. Our next project will gulp about N60 million, we need support but it is not easy to get for our kind of production.

 

How many films have you produced?

We started with Agba Ijakadi which featured Evangelist Tope Alabi. In fact, it was Cornerstone Films that brought Tope Alabi out of secular film to gospel film. We also have others like Osumo Aiye which was shown at the National Theatre in early 90s, Ewu Nla, which featured Ojo Ade, Ilu Awon Oku, Olopa Okunkun, Atimole Alajobi, Alagidi Ogun, among others. God now instructed me to stop selling the films if I am to enter His kingdom, which is why I did “Olewu” which I gave out for free. In all, 30,000 copies have been distributed for free and we still want to do more but we lack sponsors.

 

You seem particular about your film about the cross?

Yes, it is the Irora agbelebu; we want to translate it to many languages but there was no sponsor. It is a special project, the first film by Africans to showcase Jesus Christ. People started asking why we didn’t sell it but we are happy because it touched people’s lives, which was our goal. But I still had instruction to shoot it into international standard so people can watch it everywhere. I consulted Segun Okeowo, an icon in Christian movie production and Abayomi  Ojo, a lecturer at Ondo State University as director of the movie. We rewrote the film; the effect we are going to use will be imported from the United States. Our props run into millions of naira, casting is expensive because our cast is made up of matured and educated people, location is in Akungba and we are entering location this month (January). And by God’s grace, we will hit the cinemas by Easter.

 

What is the significance of the movie?

It will go a long way because it will take the gospel to the unreached