Since getting onto the top of the stage in the movie world with his debut as a Producer/Director with Irapada, kunle Afolayan has refused to look back.
"The Figurine (Araromire) is the latest project he is working on now. According to him “ It is a story I have been working on for over four years now; even before we shot “Irapada” and I think it's high time we started showing better movies. For me, “Irapada” was an experiment and we thank God it was well received at home and abroad but now “The Figurine” is a better story and it's a much bigger, better project in terms of picture, budget, storyline, and everything”.
The Figurine is the name of statue-like object that he uses to represent the goddess he portrays in the new film and he seems to take after Tunde Kelani that a film does not have a language of its own. He believes it is a universal phenomenon that can be understood at the level of worldview.
He further adds, "The Figurine is the English name that has been given to Araromire, which is the name of a goddess although the film is a fictional story and as such, nobody can say we are telling a wrong story.
It is a film that tries to highlight the fact that we are the cause of our own situation without ascribing too much to the gods or God like we always do. It is a film that deals with the human belief, the human nature and it is going to generate a lot of debate. At the end, it is either you are on one side of the divide or the other."
Despite the difficulty in getting financial assistance for the kind of project he has embarked on, Afolayan has however, brought commendable dynamism into it by collaborating with corporate organisations like German Embassy, Lufthansa, Unilever, GSK, Omatek, and individuals to realise his goals. He further adds “There is a way you work around such collaborations”.
Having shot about 70 per cent, the remaining part of the movie will be shot in an aircraft and in Germany.
According to him "We have spent millions of naira on the film. We are hoping to round off shooting in Nigeria, so we can go to Germany and shoot for one week. This is because we are targeting about three major film festivals and for us to be part of the festivals, the film must be ready latest by the end of May."
When he was asked how good his equipments are, although it is an open secret in the media and movie circles that he owns the best shooting/movie device in town, he said:
"We are shooting 35mm not celluloid but digital, HD using 35mm adaptors and film prime lenses. All these together gives you the same feel, same look of celluloid.
The Figurine has cost a fortune; millions but it will definitely pay because it is not going to be released on DVD/VCD until it has gone to the cinemas all around the world."
Just as he harbours no doubt in his mind about the fact that the current film he is working on will definitely sell out, primarily because it is a better story with better input, so does he believe that what the film is all about and its thematic preoccupation represents a deviation from the norm. For this, he has no apologies to offer anybody.
According to him, it's a breakaway. We are always so concerned with morals in our part of the world but for him, entertainment is the most essential thing. He thinks about entertainment solely when writing or working as a producer, director and actor. As there are so many things around us to show and teach us concerning the moral aspects of life, so he feels there must be certain elements that would want to make you sit down and watch
An outstanding believer in young and fresh talent, the same route through which he first burst onto the movie stage, he has kept faith with the young ones and informed that he always announces the auditioning sessions.
Among the many notable actors and actresses that feature in The Figurine include Ramsey Nouah, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Omoni Oboli, Muraino Oyelami, Kate Adepegba, several up and coming acts and Kunle Afolayan himself.
He acknowledged that it is the passion to make better movies available for the people who for, so long, have been short-changed and taken advantage of by many people who call themselves movie producers that drives him.
Since coming to limelight through “Saworo Ide” in 1998 and eventually quitting his banking job in 2005 to concentrate on where his heart lies, the handsome young man has broken records in Nollywood, even going as far as directing an all-white cast in a Hollywood flick.
He is the son of the late Ade Love, one of the pioneers of movie production in Nigeria but understands the fact that being the son of anybody does not take you anywhere if you are not worth your salt. This is the reason he underwent training in America in the dynamics of movie production and studied the style of Kelani, an expert in cinematography. Tade Ogidan and a few others are also his mentors as he also adds that he even learns from their mistakes.
"The Figurine (Araromire) is the latest project he is working on now. According to him “ It is a story I have been working on for over four years now; even before we shot “Irapada” and I think it's high time we started showing better movies. For me, “Irapada” was an experiment and we thank God it was well received at home and abroad but now “The Figurine” is a better story and it's a much bigger, better project in terms of picture, budget, storyline, and everything”.
The Figurine is the name of statue-like object that he uses to represent the goddess he portrays in the new film and he seems to take after Tunde Kelani that a film does not have a language of its own. He believes it is a universal phenomenon that can be understood at the level of worldview.
He further adds, "The Figurine is the English name that has been given to Araromire, which is the name of a goddess although the film is a fictional story and as such, nobody can say we are telling a wrong story.
It is a film that tries to highlight the fact that we are the cause of our own situation without ascribing too much to the gods or God like we always do. It is a film that deals with the human belief, the human nature and it is going to generate a lot of debate. At the end, it is either you are on one side of the divide or the other."
Despite the difficulty in getting financial assistance for the kind of project he has embarked on, Afolayan has however, brought commendable dynamism into it by collaborating with corporate organisations like German Embassy, Lufthansa, Unilever, GSK, Omatek, and individuals to realise his goals. He further adds “There is a way you work around such collaborations”.
Having shot about 70 per cent, the remaining part of the movie will be shot in an aircraft and in Germany.
According to him "We have spent millions of naira on the film. We are hoping to round off shooting in Nigeria, so we can go to Germany and shoot for one week. This is because we are targeting about three major film festivals and for us to be part of the festivals, the film must be ready latest by the end of May."
When he was asked how good his equipments are, although it is an open secret in the media and movie circles that he owns the best shooting/movie device in town, he said:
"We are shooting 35mm not celluloid but digital, HD using 35mm adaptors and film prime lenses. All these together gives you the same feel, same look of celluloid.
The Figurine has cost a fortune; millions but it will definitely pay because it is not going to be released on DVD/VCD until it has gone to the cinemas all around the world."
Just as he harbours no doubt in his mind about the fact that the current film he is working on will definitely sell out, primarily because it is a better story with better input, so does he believe that what the film is all about and its thematic preoccupation represents a deviation from the norm. For this, he has no apologies to offer anybody.
According to him, it's a breakaway. We are always so concerned with morals in our part of the world but for him, entertainment is the most essential thing. He thinks about entertainment solely when writing or working as a producer, director and actor. As there are so many things around us to show and teach us concerning the moral aspects of life, so he feels there must be certain elements that would want to make you sit down and watch
An outstanding believer in young and fresh talent, the same route through which he first burst onto the movie stage, he has kept faith with the young ones and informed that he always announces the auditioning sessions.
Among the many notable actors and actresses that feature in The Figurine include Ramsey Nouah, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Omoni Oboli, Muraino Oyelami, Kate Adepegba, several up and coming acts and Kunle Afolayan himself.
He acknowledged that it is the passion to make better movies available for the people who for, so long, have been short-changed and taken advantage of by many people who call themselves movie producers that drives him.
Since coming to limelight through “Saworo Ide” in 1998 and eventually quitting his banking job in 2005 to concentrate on where his heart lies, the handsome young man has broken records in Nollywood, even going as far as directing an all-white cast in a Hollywood flick.
He is the son of the late Ade Love, one of the pioneers of movie production in Nigeria but understands the fact that being the son of anybody does not take you anywhere if you are not worth your salt. This is the reason he underwent training in America in the dynamics of movie production and studied the style of Kelani, an expert in cinematography. Tade Ogidan and a few others are also his mentors as he also adds that he even learns from their mistakes.
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