Nollywood actor Kunle Remi has discussed what he believes are the distinctions between television- and cinema-worthy films.
Kunle Remi stressed in a recent interview with Hiptv News that not all films tagged as cinematic actually live up to the expectations of the viewer.
As Kunle Remi pointed out, there is a need for a more precise definition of what makes a cinematic film because both viewers and creators frequently mistake TV-quality films for films.
He emphasised that a certain calibre, style, and amount of work are needed to create a really cinematic experience.
Kunle Remi gave filmmaker Kunle Afolayan high marks for his work, calling his films as instances of well-made cinema.
He made the suggestion that Afolayan’s devotion to films might not help him succeed as a TV film director.
As an actor, Kunle Remi provided his insight into what constitutes a hurried or badly done movie, even if it is deemed cinematic.
He advised upcoming filmmakers to welcome constructive criticism and not be offended by audience or critic comments.
In his words:
“Not everybody understands what cinema is. I don’t think a lot of people understand it in the first place, that is why you have a low-budget film put in the cinemas when it’s not even cinema-worthy. And you see people come for you. There is a difference between a cinematic film and a film for TV.
“The moment Nigerians and filmmakers understand that we won’t be having this conversation. Kunle Afolayan for example, does cinema if you look at the quality of his project, the style and effort put into it are cinema. If he does TV films, he might not do so great because he is probably focused or trained to do cinema films.
“TV films are maybe cable films or online TVs and you can tell this was done in 5 days. I’m an actor and I can tell. Sometimes I’m doing a film and they tell me, it’s for the cinemas and I laugh. I know I’m not supposed to but, it’s funny.
“I can’t discourage anyone cos it might be a starting point for some people do not be angry if people come for you or movie lovers share opinions of your film or critics talk about it cos you can’t then compare it to a Hollywood production”.
