Nollywood actor and Sagamu-born movie producer, Femi Branch, has accused cinemas of unethical practices that he claims are undermining the Nigerian film industry.
In a recent Instagram post, the 54-year-old alleged that some cinema staff openly promote certain films while sidelining others, which has created divisions among filmmakers and hurt the economy.
Branch further alleged that some cinema staff wear branded merchandise for specific films, which he believes compromises the neutrality expected of such establishments.
He also accused cinemas of removing promotional materials for certain movies from their counters while prominently displaying others.
“I do not see anybody talking about it in the industry. I know people know what is going on. I am talking about cinemas promoting one movie above the other. It is so bad that some cinema staff wear T-shirts for one film.
“They remove the media cards of some movies from their counters and put others out there. In some cinemas, they tell people, ‘This is the best film to watch’.
“In some cinemas, they change somebody else’s time for another person. As you know, you are supposed to screen your movie at a particular time, but you go there, and they are now telling you to watch another better film.
“It is not the business of the cinema to tell what film to watch or not. We have been having a lot of problems at the cinemas recently. Especially, this December. We have heard of different fights at different cinemas. This industry is constantly under one bondage or the other.
We are divided already. Cinemas want to add to it,” he said.
Branch further claimed to have experienced situations where screen times for films were unfairly altered to accommodate more popular movies.
According to him, these practices discourage producers from investing in cinema projects due to concerns about unfair treatment.
“When they give you screen time and see that another film has become popular, they will then give your screen time to other people. You are not helping our industry, you are not helping the economy, and you are not assisting actors, too. Cinemas are supposed to be neutral,” he lamented.
The producer also expressed concern about the financial impact on filmmakers, especially those struggling to recoup investments.
He added that “Many producers are groaning now. The money they invested is not returning. Some of us who are working on projects for cinemas are afraid because we do not know what’s going on.”
Branch’s allegations come days after actress Mercy Aigbe made similar claims about cinemas allegedly discouraging fans from viewing her latest movie ‘Thin Line’.
Movie Producer Femi Branch Accuses Cinemas Of Favoritism is first published on The Whistler Newspaper