Nigerian-British actor John Boyega has emphasised the need for reform and collaboration in Nollywood to raise its standards.
He made this claim during Monday’s AFRIFF panel discussion.
Boyega thinks that foreign collaborations, workshops, and training are necessary to advance Nigerian filmmaking, which has not yet realised its full potential.
The actor emphasised the significance of improving filmmaking to meet international standards and urged producers and filmmakers to be receptive to research, change, and helpful criticism.
He cited the success of international movies like Marvel’s Avengers and Black Panther, suggesting that Nollywood can achieve similar success with collaboration and a willingness to learn.
He said:
“Unfortunately, the filmmaking is not at the level it needs to be. Everybody has to be a student and collaborate at this point, we need to collaborate. To collaborate, both international and Nigerian filmmakers need to be humble.
“We also need to raise the standards. I want to see a Nigerian franchise that can make a billion naira at the global box.
“I want us to be the main place at the mainstream but we do need to improve the quality of filmmaking here.
“This then leads to opportunities like workshops that provide opportunities for people to learn. We also need government’s support. The most important thing now is we need to change our mind. We need to raise the standards.
“The new standard should be if I enjoy Avengers and Marvel, why not in Nigeria? Why can’t we have those kinds of movies here? We saw the way Black Panther went down in the global box.
“How much money they made imitating you but why can’t we do that for ourselves? I think it means getting off our high horses and everyone becoming a student.
Also, Nollywood directors and producers have to open up their minds to a structural change. We need a structural change.
“If you think you have put a film together and you haven’t done research for the dialogue to be authentic, the extracurricular research outside of the role to see how the character will talk and walk.
“Trust me, you are not there yet and it is important for someone to tell you at this level that you are not there yet because how are you going to reach your full potential?
“… So we need to think about how we can collaborate to create change.”
