Tell us a little about yourself…
Gelax: I’m Gelax and I pride myself in being a passionate filmmaker, a lover of art, colours, people and spaghetti.
All I do is to align with my vision of being a Star Maker.
Chinaza: Myself – I like five things.
Film. Food. Books. Music. Running.
Everything after film helps me cope with the madness that is film. I studied computer science and I honestly don’t know how I ended up here to be honest. I just knew I didn’t want to write codes, so I wrote content instead and now I write and direct films.
What inspired you to become a filmmaker, and how has your heritage influenced your work?
Gelax: I’ve always wanted to do art but it did take a minute to figure out what aspect of art was for me. I first found radio, then I found TV but as soon as I got into film, it just felt like home. “This is where I’m meant to be”, wouldn’t stop ringing aloud in my head.
Before I got into film, I never used to watch films like a regular person, it was always about the different aspects of it for me –things I didn’t even know the proper terms for then. I would talk more about what was going on in each frame than sit still and enjoy the experience. Not in a being a film critic kinda way but more in a fascinating way of… how did they do that? Can I do that and better? Etc.
Chinaza: I don’t have that big inspiration moment, I’m afraid. I just liked seeing words in pictures and a friend said I could be a director and I ended up here.
My heritage has somehow affected my filmmaking in that I like to see language and nuance in film which is something that used to be lacking from many of our films. Everyone does it now. So I guess that’s a good thing, yeah?
What challenges have you faced as a filmmaker of African origin, and how did you overcome them?
Gelax: Siri play “It’s all about the money money money”.
I believe this is what every filmmaker of African origin would sing back to you as well. More than just sourcing for funds, my other challenge would be monetising my products as a filmmaker. Yes, I went into this out of passion. Yes, we came together to create this because we have a story to tell and we needed an avenue for creative expression, but how do we sustain that?
Just as with Tì ẹ Ńbọ̀, I struggle with what next after putting all you have into creating a beautiful art but having no assurance of moneyback not to speak of profit to make another. Yo, that’s a crazy place to be, man!
Chinaza: The biggest issue I’ve faced as a filmmaker is funding. But also, being a Nigerian filmmaker is having to deal with a lot of low quality problems that you naturally shouldn’t have to encounter. For example, people trying to beat us at the beach when we shot ti e nbo, to my producer having to fight Lagos agbero’s outside the house we were shooting because they threatened to turn off the generator if we didn’t settle them. Note, they had been settled. They just wanted extra. So like I said, low quality embarrassing
problems.
What advice would you give to aspiring African filmmakers aiming to share their stories on a global stage?
Gelax: Do it. Don’t let no one tell you nothing. Believe in yourself and in your story and just go for it. People wey dey do am no get two heads, my guy.
I am super proud of how well Tì ẹ Ńbọ̀ has done globally but really, we had every reason not to have done it when we did. It took stubbornness and genuinely, no one could have told us we didn’t have something solid on our hands. I wouldn’t even have it. That’s the kind of spirit every aspiring African filmmaker should adopt.
Chinaza: Make good stories. Find your people. Find your niche. Stay true to your art. More importantly, please find what works and work with it. I know that sounds like bad advice, but you can be novel while seeking out ways to stick to already laid down principles. Find a balance. No one wants to be a broke filmmaker.
