Funke Akindele, Uchenna MBUNABO and Ruth KADIRI have practically captured Nollywood, churning out back to back classic movies. They actually have their eyes set on the Hollywood status…
The world is film making is one with it’s headache, challenges and tasking requirements, such that is not always an easy triumph, hence you see a lot of filmmakers and producers disappearing into the thin air after some efforts in that regard. But some others have actually made a name for themselves in the same field of career endeavours, such that you can help but envy and admire their lofty achievements.
Today, we are looking at the three most successful and prolific filmmakers and producers in Nollywood at the moment, with their individual movies often coming at on top of others. These persons have been able to explore every available avenue to push their movies to the top, including digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook, etc. Others include Cable TV stations, online streaming platforms, Cinemas, etc.
UCHENNA MBUNABO: This smart, intelligent and hardworking young filmmaker and movie producer has seemingly taken over the Nigerian movie industry, practically being the name behind most of the movies you see on digital TV stations, both within and outside the country.
One wouldn’t be so wrong to ask how he manages to meet up with the stress and work involved in his craft, going by the number of movies he produces weekly, monthly or yearly. Besides, this is the sort of person who truly deserve the title “A King Maker” because of the number of talents he has been able to harness in the past few years.
A graduate of New York film academy, Uchenna is the CEO of One & Two Film Production and equally the CEO of Moreplex TV on YouTube Channel. Funny enough, do you that this highly successful film maker began as a film renter in the street, this was after all hope for help failed, so he decided to start somewhere. Today, he can’t mention top five filmmakers and producers in Africa without his golden name being in that list.
Some of his movies include Joro, Unscared, Love For Rent, Wish and More, Wife Material, Women, Sister Nkeiru, Celebrity Marriage, The Newly Married, A Call From The Past, Imaginary Husband, Blue Date, Barrister Anita, Eternal Love, Wedding Eve, Blood Affair, Hundred Percent Secret, and too many to mention.
One thing I so much love and admire about him is the fact that whatever story he lays hand on turns into a hold (blockbuster). And it is not as though he has been a movie producer for ages, but how he managed to spread his tentacles across the industry in short space of time, with great legacies, is yet another wonder of the world.
RUTH KADIRI: Born on March 30, 1989, Ruth is a seasoned Nollywood actress, screenwriter, producer and filmmaker who has equally written her name in gold in the industry. Though started mainly as an actress, Ruth along the line started exploring other lucrative phase of the industry, and here she’s today.
She’s a typical example of what a man can do, a woman can do it better. Yes, she has gradually carved a niche for herself in the industry, while steadily satisfying the cravings of movie lovers in the country. Het movies has equally captured the world of YouTube, online digital platforms and Cable TV stations, in and outside the country.
Surprisingly, the mother of two has been able to balance both family work and her career in such a way that none is thriving at the detriment of the other. Do you know how tasking and time consuming filmmaking could be? Sure if truly you do understand, then you will without hesitation give Ruth her flowers coz she has earned deservedly.
Some of her movies include Better Half, We Cheat More, Black Men Rocks, Mannerless, Fear of a Woman, Love Me, Gateman, In Your Heart, Sorrow Gate, Wife for Sale, Pink or Blue, Boys to Men, Perfect Four, Let’s Play, Trouble Comes to Town, and many other fantastic movies to her credit.
She has equally groomed some fantastic talents in the industry, of which most notable among them is Chidi Dike.
FUNKE AKINDELE: One thing I really love about Funke is the fact that she’s never comfortable at what ever height she has found herself in the movie industry, as such, she keep aiming higher, via consistent hardwork and dedication to her job.
Since her highly successful movie “Jenifa’s Diary”, Funke Akindele has never really looked back as she kept going higher and higher. You can’t help but fall in love with her energy, passion and determination, such that has actually earned her accolades upon accolades.
Funke who is an actress, producer, writer, director and politician has continued to conquer the industry through her exceptional movies, such as ” Tribe Called Judah” which currently is the highest grossing movie of all time in Nollywood, fetching over a billion Naira at the box-office, equally breaking the record previously held by another of her movie titled “Battle On Buka Street”.
While she holds the record of the most wins at African Magic Viewer’s Choice Award, AMVCA and NEA, she’s equally the producer and director of the three of Nollywood’s all time highest movies namely A Tribe Called Judah, Battle of Buka Street and Omo Ghetto: The Saga. On the other hand, she’s the second Nollywood Director to gross over a billion Naira at the Nigerian box-office, and presently is the highest grossing Nigerian movie director in the country’s box-office with a whopping sum of about 2.9 billion Naira grossed at the box-office.
Without mincing words, Funke Akindele is indeed the Queen of the box-office and has earned her bragging rights in the industry. Give Jenifa her well deserved flowers.
Besides, these three producers and filmmakers have something in common, they know exactly the kind of stories that will appeal to their audience, and they haven’t failed their audience/fans in that regard. And their movies hardly flop in the market, always grossing millions of Naira for them, because it is not just about producing movies, but the returns matters a lot as well. Yes, without the returns being encouraging then you as a filmmaker will easily be discouraged from venturing further, but these three wise heads knows their game well enough.
Written by our guest writer Okwor Maxwell, author of many best sellers like Vengeance of the Spirit, Forbidden Son, How Love Conquered The World, Conquering The Needles War Surrounding Feminism Ideology, and others. onyekaondeck@gmail.com
(Photo credit: Instagram: Ruth KADIRI/Funke Akindele/Uchenna MBUNABO)