Nigerian media executive Mo Abudu has dismissed claims of cabals in the film industry, particularly allegations that some Nollywood producers collaborate with cinema owners to block audiences from watching rival movies.
Some Nigerian filmmakers have, over time, taken to social media to accuse their colleagues of conspiring with cinema owners to prevent their movies, which have already been given a particular slot, from showing.
Some fans have also alleged that when they visit cinemas to watch a particular Nigerian movie that has been scheduled, some workers there persuade them to watch another Nigerian film under the guise that their preferred movie is no longer showing.
However, during an interview on ARISE Television on Saturday, Mo Abudu said cinema is purely about business, stressing that movies that generate strong sales are given preferential treatment.
According to the filmmaker, cinema owners and their investors are not working on sentiment but on generating returns on their investments in cinemas.
She said, “There is no cabal. This is not about sentiment or favouritism; it is about return on investment.
“If a film cannot fill seats, it will be replaced no matter who owns it.
“If I am running air-conditioning, paying staff, and only two or three people are sitting in a 100-seat cinema, that film will lose its slot. It is purely business.”
