…Says: ‘At 6 years I was running errands, acting alongside Sam Loco’

By BENJAMIN NJOKU

Renowned Nigerian film producer and director, Rogers Ofime still holds his enviable craft close to his chest despite relocating to Canada with his family a few years back. The CEO of Native Media is known for producing some of the most watched TV series in this part of the world which include M-net’s ‘Tinsel’, The Johnsons, Hotel Majestic, Hush, Childe Internationale, Oloibiri, Zero Hour, Voiceless, The Mystic River, Colore (a french series filmed in Congo), Till You’re 16, and WURA. He believes that telling original stories is the way to go for content creation by African filmmakers.

He recalls that his initial dream when he began delving into the world of production, was to redefine creativity and use his craft to bring joy and happiness to many homes in Africa. In this engaging interview, the celebrated film director and producer, chronicles the story of his journey into film making, why he relocated to Canada, and the future of film making in Nigeria.

Excerpts:

You were doing well back in Nigeria before you decided to relocate to Canada, what inspired your decision to move to Canada?

I would say faith and trust in the unknown. I am a risk taker and every chapter of life must be read from within your soul because it would either make you or break every hope and dream you have ever built within yourself. I took the leap of faith. I did not want to look back and regret, asking myself what would have been and how it would have been so. More so, I had a great team and I knew the company would be in good hands.

Looking back, are you satisfied with the way things have shaped up for you as a filmmaker and director?

First of all, I would like to thank God for the opportunities he blessed me with. When I look back through the years as an Ebute-Meta boy who had nothing but a bag full of dreams and dare to redefine creativity, it could only have been by His grace that I am here today bringing joy, hope, togetherness, suspense, drama and rib cracking laughter through the content we make to many homes in Nigeria. I can only marvel at it all and say “So, this is me” To a large extent , I can say there is satisfaction in the work of my hands but man’s desire to create is insatiable.

Can you share the story of your journey into film making and will you say it has been rewarding over the years?

I started this journey at a very early age. As a boy of 6 years, I was running errands for and acting alongside the legendary Sam Loco Efe of blessed memory. I fell in love with the theatre and decided this was the career path for me. OAU honed the raw talent and skills in me, also growing the desire to know more and explore more in the world of creativity, especially in film and media Studies at the University of Ibadan, where I became a master in my craft during my Masters degree programme. I can proudly say both schools shaped my craft. TV was gold and I knew I needed to own a part of that to grow myself and be a game changer but also helping other like minded people along the way. It was not an easy journey, even when M-net produced Tinsel came along, the first season was a struggle. But we knew then we had created a masterpiece and game changer. Tinsel was a hit and the birthplace of every other show on the M-net/Dstv platform. The success of Tinsel was exactly what it was created for. The template borrowed from South Africa, the story originally Nigerian, the actors majorly unknown who proved to the continent and the world at large that Nigeria is here. Then came Africa Magic original films of about 180 made for TV films discovering talent, working with a new age of crew and cast hungry to change the narrative which we did. Then came The Johnsons, Hotel Majestic, Hush, Childe Internationale, Oloibiri, Zero Hour, Voiceless, The Mystic River, Colore (a french series we filmed in Congo), Till You’re 16, WURA and the list goes on and on… Every bit of the journey was rewarding, the joy of surmounting and climbing the next hill.

What will you say has been your toughest challenge producing these series?

Every project is challenging from concept, but when you get into it with detailed planning, all the pieces fall into place. Definitely, there will be times when you feel like you have bitten off more than you can chew. But when those times come, having a great team with you and knowing every angle that could go wrong was thought of and planned for, it eases the doubts away and gives you the strength to soldier on with finesse. One thing you must understand is once you have decided to go on this journey, you cannot look back. The aim and goal is to give the audience a good show they will love and own it.

African filmmakers have been challenged severally to tell African stories, which Showmax is doing with its original drama series. Do you think it’s the way to go for the movie industry?

What sets us apart from the rest of the world is our originality, you ask yourself, is this relatable to the environment and situations that obtain in your chosen location? In this case, the Nigerian audience will find something that sparks off a memory within them or make them pause and say “I experienced this today or someone they know did. Put all that in a technically appealing film and interpret that good script into a great film in all its originality. Telling our original stories is the way to go for content creation. The world needs to unlearn the stereotypes of how the African continent and its countries have been portrayed by the western press. So we must feed them with more of our stories, our triumphs as a people and the togetherness we share. I believe we need to do more of our original stories because we have only just begun

Streaming Platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Prime Video, Showmax among others are changing the way Nollywood films are produced and consumed. Are you not worried that this new trend might topple the African film sector in future?

I strongly believe that a symbiotic existence will eventually come into the industry where films made for the cinema and those on streaming platforms will feed off each other for a more successful industry based on healthy collaborations leading to growth in experience and financial gains. No, I am not worried at all, I know there is room for filmmakers to get it right and get it together on both ends.

What will you say is the future of film making in this part of the world?

We have a lot to do as filmmakers from this side of the world, a bright future is only going to happen when we open our vistas to cross- country collaborations and collaborations here in Nigeria. The new set of African filmmakers and the avante garde are charting a new course for the greater good of film on the continent. Trust me, in two years our stories will be the most sought after by other continents because of the foundations being laid by African filmmakers today.