By ADETUTU ADESOJI

The issue of sexual harassment in the Nigerian film industry otherwise known as Nollywood is a subject of controversy that has over the years rocked that sector of the entertainment industry.

charles uwagbai

While majority of Nollywood actresses have attested to the existence of this act in the industry with claims to have been sexually harassed at a point in their careers, a few others have trashed the talk saying only the desperate wannabes in the make believe world are faced with such a challenge.

Uber talented film maker, Charles Uwagbai has weighed in on the never-ending controversy in the film industry. The brain behind block-bursters like ‘Esohe’ and ‘Brother Jekwu’ explained that he has heard reports of sexual harassment in Nollywood via social media but was quick to separate himself from film makers that engage in the filthy act.

“Well, I can only speak for myself, although I have heard of reports like this on social media but all I will say is, I don’t do it and I don’t think such an act is right.”

He however advised that actresses should look for appropriate channels to get jobs and not go through shortcuts in order to avoid being harassed by anyone. “My advice to these actresses is that they should lookout for the right channels to get jobs. There are a couple of big production houses that call out for auditions, actresses should attend these auditions and also work on improving their skills. I have conducted auditions and I realized that some people who claim to be actresses don’t even know how to act, they come for auditions without being prepared and I ask myself, are these the people that want to act?,” he asked.

“Actresses should not look for shortcuts by calling movie directors and producers or sending them messages in a bid to get jobs because by so doing they will fall into the wrong hands,” he added.

The proud director of 2018 Nollywood highest grossing movie in box office, ‘Ghost and the Tout’ also expressed his excitement over the success of the movie produced by star actress Toyin Abraham. “I’m very proud to have directed `Ghost and the Tout’, I think everyone will be proud if their work is successful and well accepted. For the movie to have grossed so much it only means that people like it so much and it connected well with them, it is a movie I’m proud to be associated with and it marks one of the high points of my career,” he said.

Edo State-born Charles Uwagbai is a graduate of Engineering from the University of Ado Ekiti but decided to follow his passion in film making by honing his directing skills at the New York Film Academy and training under seasoned directors like Andy Amenechi and Alex Mouth. He started his career with motion graphics and animations but has since moved on to make some of Nollywood’s most successful cinema movies like ‘Black Silhouette’, ‘Breathless’, ‘Ghost and the Tout’, ‘Kondo Games’ and many others that has in turn positioned him as one of the top film makers in the fast growing industry.