It’s difficult for women to make headway in film-production in Nigeria —Zulumoke

Zulumoke Oyibo is a film producer and co-founder of Inkblot Productions, a leading production company in Nigeria. Her films, The Arbitration and The Wedding Party were showcased at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2016 with The Wedding Party holding a past record for the highest-grossing Nollywood film in Nigerian history. In this interview by SEGUN KASALI, Zulumoke shares her experiences in the film making Industry. Excerpts:

 

how did you become a screenwriter, a producer and co-founder of the success story that is Inkblot Productions is today?

My favourite hobby growing up was writing. And so when my co-founders and I decided to take our writing seriously in 2010, it came naturally. Soon after, I discovered how to produce and have been doing so ever since.

 

What’s the most striking experience in film you can never ever forget in your life?

This would be shooting up North in Bauchi. The film tells a story of young secondary school female athletes in a statewide competition. While shooting, one of the background actors we casted in to run ran so effortlessly and won the race so easily that she found it hard to act slower. We found out she wasn’t even an athlete in her school and on that day introduced her to a Bauchi State athletic coach who then started to coach her. Last I heard, she now runs for her university and competed at the just-concluded NUGA games held in Lagos, 2022

 

How was your university days? What were some of the indelible moments? Given your experience with Law School, does your legal instinct come into play when developing your own movies and in the running of a film production outfit?

My school days were fun. I attended the University of Lagos and the Lagos Law School. I do not practice Law today but it is clearer to me now than it was back then, that education in Law is easily the best-rounded education anyone can acquire. There is a law for everything and there is ethics in every profession. My background has guided my relationships, partnerships and leadership. Film production, being a creative profession is fraught with infringements. Intellectual property is the foundation of my industry and is one of the hardest concepts to grasp, talk less of protection. So, my education has definitely played an integral role in my career and I cannot be more thankful for it.

 

How is Nollywood in the pandemic? Shooting movies with COVID-19 still out there, what do you think the ideal situation should be like?

The short answer is – EXPENSIVE. The extra logistic costs we incurred in order to follow protocol and keep everyone safe is money we would rather have raised to create better pictures. Nevertheless, there is always a silver lining. The growth of streaming in the past 2 years has been exponential with many more studios developing their own platforms. Also, there is glaring interest in African stories, which is attracting dollar investments continent wide. COVID-19 lockdown may have brought darkness but the release is filled with hope.

 

What went through your mind when you and others decided to start Inkblot Productions? Are you where you envisaged you’d be 10 years down the line?

At Inkblot, we currently have a licensing deal with Amazon and a Netflix commission. This is beyond what we imagined. Our goal has always been to entertain our audiences with stories rich in character, plot and design. We knew that doing that will grow the industry gradually and introduce new investors and patrons. And so we worked to achieve that. We could never have predicted what ‘The Wedding Party’ would do to change the face of Nollywood, nor that COVID-19 will happen and shift the spotlight of international studios. What we could affect, we did. And that was our work. We made sure we did better with each production.

 

How do you feel being the only female at the helm of affairs at Inkblot?

If you told two people to narrate one event, the report will not be given the exact same way. Also, with life experiences, the female perspective differs from the male. Having a mix at the helm of Inkblot has influenced our decision-making because we are able to take a more holistic approach to our strategies. I also know that being in the engine room, I have been able to change some narratives, be it creative or operational. This is one of the reasons I started the initiative – IWIF. It is important to have female voices to tell female stories. It is even more important that women are part of policy conversations. And I know that women cannot do it alone. We need a community of like-minded, optimistic, hardworking dreamers and we need to be intentional about pushing ourselves forward. The outcome of this belief can never be negative. So, why has it been such a hard thing to do in the past? Look at the top five highest earning Nollywood films today, all produced by women? That’s the evidence of what is possible, for those who need it

 

“Women in our industry today face challenges just for being women and are not given enough accolades for their work.” These words have been accredited to you. What do you mean by this?

Nollywood doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We are a part of a larger creative industry which is part of a larger Nigerian society. So let’s start from the very beginning – how do people see creative types generally? ‘Unserious’ ‘street’ ‘unemployed’ are not uncommon terms used to describe us. Then, how are women rated in the society generally? So, how do you then think creative women are perceived?  Do you see where I’m going with this? This struggle is not peculiar to the creative woman but I find that we battle it harder.  The funding conversation in the film industry is really the easiest example here. Funds are already very limited in this space. Investors are also very few due to the lack of structure. It is common knowledge that investors fund the businesses of people who look like them so you find that male investors are more comfortable supporting male executives. It is hard enough for a man to raise funds in this space, what then is the plight of women? There is dignity in every labour.  We need to be able to drive social discuss to embrace this.

 

You’re the convener of IWIF. A platform where women in Nollywood can come together and break barriers that are holding them down and also contribute their quota to the upward trajectory of Nollywood. What is that, and what are your long‑term goals with the IWIF?

The I, Woman In Film (IWIF) initiative is a community of women bonding together to tackle social and professional issues affecting women in order to grow the film industry to better standards for the benefit of all. Women have something different, something special. Our craft is different. Our thoughts and solutions are shaped by different perspectives. Aren’t we curious to tap those stories and strategies that are a natural product of our creativity? That’s what IWIF is here for. Truth be told, this initiative is not a big idea. Speaking to all the women at the IWIF events prove that we all see the issues and we all see the solutions. We just don’t have the resources or the support to get us there. The task is pretty herculean but as I have learned, the first step is to begin. Our ultimate goal is to create a level playing field. As Nollywood generates more interest, there is an urgent need for proper structures and policies. We hope to be a part of the conversations that will eventually lead to the organisation of Nollywood.

 

You recently produced a new movie which, was just released in the cinemas (The Blood Covenant). Can you tell us the cost implications? What has the response to the film been so far?

The ‘Blood Covenant’ is a story I was very excited to produce. Written by Chiemeka Osuagwu and Chinaza Onuzo and directed by Fiyin Gambo, it is a tale about 3 young men in present day Nigeria who get sucked in by societal pressures and find themselves dabbling in occultic practices in order to get rich quick. This is a very topical issue today and so the response has been quite positive and engaging. It is still out in all the cinemas nationwide and everyone needs to go see it so as not to miss out on the conversations.

 

What do you want your fans and viewers to take from this movie and what does a movie like this portends for the Nigerian society at large?

One would expect to have a wild time experiencing intense thrilling drama laced with comedy, romance and suspense. The star-studded lineup drives the story home with each cast member delivering their best performances like you have never seen them. Tobi Bakre, Uzor Arukwe, Shawn Faqua, Erica Nlewedim, Omowumi Dada, Alexx Ekubo and Ufuoma Mcdermott are not to be missed. Also, there’s a disturbing reaction to the recently rampant reports of ritualism that is quite worrisome. The Blood Covenant addresses these ideas and hopes to influence the narrative in favour of better principles.

 

What can fans expect from Inkblot Productions for the rest of 2022?

Inkblot has a whole lot in store for our loyal audience this year! ‘The Blood Covenant’ is in the cinemas right now and The Perfect Arrangement will follow closely on May 13th. We are also currently shooting the sequel to the fan favourite ‘The Set Up’ and are in pre-production for 3 other films in action comedy, horror and drama. So, stay tuned! As for me and my personal journey, I love to let things unfold in due time so please don’t stop watching. You’ll see soon enough.