By Dipo Olowookere
A talented gospel filmmaker, Feyisayo Makanjuola, has taken a step further to raise the bar in the local movie industry fondly called Nollywood with the release of her new flick entitled Dither.
Feyi, as her pals fondly address her, recently premiered the movie in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and speaking on the project, the founder of Heagle Height Media said her film will change the face of Nollywood for good.
“The industry is doing well and growing really fast. As Nigerians, Nollywood has a great influence on our lives and ways directly and indirectly. So, like some people have done before me, if the gospel of Christ is beautifully packaged and delivered through this medium, we will reach and influence many. This is what I stand for and this is what I am up to,” she said.
Speaking further at the event, which attracted a massive crowd of quality film lovers, including her colleagues in the showbiz world, Feyi explained that she went into gospel film production because she “was divinely inspired to go into it, noting that, “Movie production for me is a tool for the propagation of the gospel.”
According to her, “My primary objective is to propagate the gospel globally. If I, therefore, need to entertain you to get this message across, so be it. Profitability is good and desirable but for those of us in the gospel movie industry, this is secondary. If money comes from this venture, we’re good with it and if it doesn’t, God will still have His way.”
For her, she would love to “ensure that every movie coming out of Nollywood teaches good morals,” expressing desire to act in secular movies as long as the objectives of the producer “perfectly aligns with mine,” saying, “It’s a period I am looking forward to when the objective of the gospel movie sub-sector will dominate the entire industry.”
Explaining what Dither is all about, the prolific actress said, “Dither is a divinely inspired story like the five foolish virgins referred to in the Bible. The storyline of the movie is centred around a young lady who refused to forgive those who hurt her. She refused to let go of the past and slowly it consumed and controlled her decisions. The truth meant nothing to her as she became paranoid and suspicious of every intention people had. This became her greatest challenge.”
On the challenges she faced while shooting the film, she said, “Due to the ethics and peculiarities of our sub-sector, the major challenge I encountered was getting the right cast for the movie. But after consultations with my colleagues in the industry, we were able to overcome this challenge. Access to our desired locations was also a bit of a challenge, and of course finance, but God saw us through all these.”
However, she assured that viewers of the movie will enjoy “great motion picture quality, fantastic actors, beautiful storyline and amazing sounds,” noting that, “Arrangements are in top gear to ensure that Dither is screened in major cinemas all over Nigeria.”
According to her, “The movie will also be available on Netflix, YouTube and DSTV in due course. Our target is to put this movie on as many platforms as possible to reach a good number of people.”
Business Post Contributor