Tag: Nollywood

PROLIFIC Nollywood producer and director Teco Benson was one of the lucky winners at this year’s African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) held at the weekend in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State. His movie, Accident, was among others like Apaye, B for Boy, Murder at Prime Suites and Omo Elemosho that were nominated in different categories.

However, it was obvious that Neither Teco Benson nor anybody saw it coming, especially because Apaye had been the only Nigerian movie with six nominations in different categories. Therefore, when Accident emerged Best Nigeria Film, Teco walked with his head held high to the stage. His steps, composure belied the fact that he was bereaved.

Teco, who held the AMAA crest with pride, announced to the chagrin of the guests that he was dedicating his award to his late brother who died a few days to the event in South Africa.

“I lost my brother and was supposed to have travelled to South Africa to bring him home, but I decided to shelve that, just to be here. I want to thank the organisers for this. But most importantly, I dedicate this award to my late brother and to all those who have lost their lives to the insurgence going on now.”

It will be recalled that Teco Benson, was nominated for Best Director at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2006 and 2008. In 2012, he was decorated by President Goodluck Jonathan as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic. He started his career as an actor in 1994 before switching to producing and directing.

Barely four years after she joined the movie industry, Sylvya Oluchy is already in the warm embrace of fame. Her roles in both Alan Poza and Finding Love have been opening doors of opportunities for her. In this interview with OVWE MEDEME, the Nollywood actress talks about a number of issues.

IT is generally believed that the movie, Alan Poza, was your first big screen movie?

I think Alan Poza was the first movie I did, when I moved to Lagos. I started my career in Abuja; but along the line, I moved to Lagos after my NYSC because the roles were not much over there. Alan Poza was good. Funnily, I knew a lot of people like OC Ukeje on the set, prior to the job;so, it was fun.

What are you currently working on?

I just finished a movie called Being Mrs. Elliot. It is coming out at the cinemas soon. It has Majid Michel, Omoni Oboli, AY, Lepacious Bose and a host of others. Right now, I am working on something else. But I don’t think my producer will like it, if I start talking about it because we haven’t even started shooting.

How did life as an actress start?

As a child, I didn’t have a lot of friends; so, when I came home from school, I would be imitating my teachers. Sometimes, I would be playing with my toys and change my voice for each character. My mother used to watch me then and always told me that I would be good at acting. So, I grew up and decided to give it a try.

As a child, when your mother keeps saying something to your ears, it goes into your own subconscious after a while; and then,  you start thinking it’s your idea or you just start to love it. She started saying it to me when I was six.  So, somehow, it got into my subconscious and I settled for it.

Professionally, how long have you been acting?

I have been doing this now for four years, excluding the four years I spent in the university. If I add that, it should be about eight years now.

How rewarding have the four years been?

It has not been terrible. I have been in some really good jobs. I have won some awards; but as human, there is always room for improvement and I am working hard towards that.

You were once quoted as saying that there is no big deal acting nude…

(Cuts in) It was an interview I granted and bloggers started picking up on that particular line. Actually, I have never done it before. But if I was approached to do it, I would have to make my decision based on the director and the script. This is because I believe that the director is the most important man on set. The picture you see is his idea. Secondly, it should be based on the script. When those two things come together, that will inform my decision.

Have you considered what your family and friends will say if you play that kind of role?

I have and that is probably why I haven’t done it yet. As I say, nobody knows tomorrow. You don’t know what you will be or what will come up, so I tend to never say, ‘Never’. But I haven’t done it yet. As I said, if I am approached to do it, it will depend on the circumstance. You never know what kind of opportunities life might open for you.

Do you see a situation where we will be acting such kinds of movies in Nigeria any time soon?

It is already being done in Ghanaian movies and even in a couple of Nigerian movies. Another thing is that because I started acting from theatre, I understand that even if you have to use nudity in a movie, it has to really make sense in the concept of the story you are telling. It also has to be quite accurate. So, you have to portray it well. That is why I keep saying it depends on the director of the movie.

As a Theatre Arts graduate, have you done any major stage production?

Actually, since I left school, I haven’t done anything on stage. I have been focusing on the screen. Stage is still my first love, but I have just been focusing on the screen for now. I do hope to do something on stage soon because I studied Theatre Arts. That is what I learnt to do first. Before we started doing scriptwriting and using camera, I was already in part three in the university. So, my first two years in the university were strictly all about stage production.

Of the two, which do you find more exciting?

It is a two-way street. For excitement, I prefer stage because you get your feedback immediately from the audience. If you are messing up, they boo you. If you are doing well, they cheer you on. Everything is instant. But for longevity, I prefer movie because you can do a movie and 15 years after, you can go back to it. It depends.

What was your major course in school?

I majored in Criticism. It entails being a movie critic, but I am focusing on acting and scriptwriting now. Later, I hope to do a bit of directing and producing.

How soon will that be?

I don’t know for now. It depends on when God says it is ripe. I have already written a script and right now, I am conversing with somebody about making it.

It is also believed that females face more challenges than their counterparts in the acting industry. Do you agree with this notion?

To an extent, it is true. But I don’t really blame things like that on the industry. Things like that are societal problems. This is because in our society, women tend to get the short end of the stick in the workforce; whereas men tend to get promoted faster. For some reasons, I don’t think Africa or Nigeria precisely has given the woman the voice she deserves in the society. I think that is the problem. When you empower women the way you empower men, you have doubled the workforce and the economy can accelerate. It happens, but I think it is everywhere. So, it is not just entertainment.

Are you talking from some personal experience?

Not directly because before I go somewhere, I have to know that they are looking for a certain character. This is a serious societal problem. I think the government really needs to get into both the education and empowerment of women when they finish school. A certain quota of jobs should probably be left only for women, so as to encourage them to come out and work.

Do you hope to do anything about that?

We do fight in our own way, by supporting each other and recommending each other for jobs. In my own little way, I try to help. For things like these, the government really has to get involved or nothing will get done.

Have you ever been a victim of sexual harassment?

That is another case of a societal problem. When I got to my place of primary assignment during my NYSC, the man there asked me to spend a night out with him. I had to go back to the NYSC office to report him and they posted me somewhere else. These are some of the problems in our society we really need to look into.

Aside acting, what else is there about you?

There are so many things. I am one of those people who like to try out their hands on several things as much as they possibly can. I don’t limit myself to being an actress. I like to expand my horizon as much as I can and I try to do a little bit of everything. Life is too short to put yourself in a box. Imagine Dr Dre making billions from headphones. If he had stuck to just rapping, that wouldn’t have happened.

How far do you hope to take your acting career?

All the way o! You know the normal drill. Everybody wants to be Lupita Nyong’o and win an Oscar award (laughs). I have other things I will like to do. I love to direct and produce. Even outside the industry, I still have some ideas I will like to try out; it is science and technology-related. Science has always been my first love. I haven’t forgotten it yet. In fact, my favourite movies are science fictions-I feel like it is a perfect marriage of science and art.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

In the next five years, I hope that I would have probably done some works outside the country, like featuring in a standard Hollywood movie. I just admired the way they gave Adewale Agbaje the role in Pompeii. I would like to have done something like that. In the next five years, I am hoping on moving on to the next stage of my life. As I said, I don’t want to do one thing all my life. I also wouldn’t mind being a mother. I think that is the biggest deal in Nollywood.

How are you preparing to experience motherhood?

No comments.

If you want to be a mother, then, someone has to be in your life?

Don’t worry about my relationship status

Why is that?

It is not important.

Don’t you think keeping it a secret will increase the rate at which men make advances at you?

Even if I say I am in a relationship, it won’t stop guys from asking me out. So, I think it won’t make any difference.

Unlike some of your colleagues, you don’t seem to fancy the campaign for the release of the kidnapped schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State.

I have been very vocal on Twitter. Being a woman, it hit me really hard. I can’t imagine being kidnapped at that age and put up for sale. At one point, they wanted to sell the girls. Next, we heard they wanted to exchange them for hardened criminals. Sometimes, I wonder whether there is more to it than we are being told. The government isn’t being proactive at all. I think the government should inculcate some mandatory self-defence courses, especially for girls. There is nothing as powerful as a woman who can defend herself. After all, the bulk of our money goes into defence. Nigeria needs to empower its women because women are the future. It gives us more confidence to walk down the street.

 Until recently, Nollywood star, Sophia Chikere, was the charming wife of Tchidi Chikere, a top movie producer. The mother of three, who recently launched her own line of perfume, ‘Sophia’s Secret’, is set to take the movie world by storm. In this interview with DUPE AYINLA-OLASUNKANMI, she reveals why she was off the scene for some time as well as her other passions. 

YOU started as an actress, but went off the scene shortly after you got married. Why did you take that decision?

Yes, that’s right. You know, when I started having kids, it wasn’t easy for me to combine both of them. I know that one must suffer. But I would rather have my acting career suffer than my family. I am this kind of mother who would not leave my kids in the hands of housemaids, not at that tender age. So, I stopped for a while. But now, they are all grown-ups and I am ready to come back. I have a lot of things coming up on that side because I have not given my acting career a good attention for a long time. But now, I have started working on that aspect. I will, however, not disclose it till it matures. I am this kind of person that won’t let the cat out of the bag till I am sure it is the right time to let it out.

The controversy about your marriage has really gone viral, how does that make you feel?

No comment…

Has the controversy affected you in any way?

I don’t talk about my private life.

You still have good looks. So, can you share the secrets of your looks?

First of all, I will like to give thanks to the almighty God, the maker of heaven and earth. He is the secret of my good looks. When you have God, you have everything. This is in addition to trying to eat right, exercise and get plenty of rest whenever I can. If you know me very well, you will know that I am this type person who does not allow anything to bother her. I am always happy; I laugh a lot and I hardly get angry. When I do, I get over it very fast. I forgive easily and I don’t bear grudges. I take life so easy. So, that reflects on me; happiness is the key.

As a mother and role model, what would you say are the challenges so far?

Well, it has not been easy. I must say being a mother to my kids and to other kids as well is the best- I’m also a mother to so many other children. I love children a lot. They are very close to my heart. If you say I am a role model, it is something I’m proud of. I’m doing my best not to disappoint the people who see me as their role model. You know, women naturally are multi-tasking sorts of human beings. We can naturally do a whole lot of things at the same time. I try to balance the three great responsibilities of mine, so that one does not suffer for the other.

What have you been up to lately?

I have been so busy lately, preparing my perfume line called Sophia’s Secret. I am busy putting things together and doing the final preparation to launch it into the market. This project alone has kept me so busy because I have been having different business meetings with lots of companies that I am planning to partner with to market the product. I have done a lot of travelling lately because I also have another business I have been running for the past nine years: Added Glamour Boutique. The boutique business makes me travel a lot because my priority is to bring in new stocks for my clients, who are buying both corporate and casual dresses from us. The reason I do the travelling by myself is to be able to see what I am buying and do the selection too. As they say, variety is the key world to the fashion business. So, going round shops is just the best way to get what my customers like and not to disappoint them. It is not that simple for me because it takes so much energy and time. But it is worth it because we have lots of customers here in Nigeria. This makes the demand for our products so high and that also entails a lot of hard work and consistency. The market is very competitive and demanding, so we try to balance up and meet up by all standards. Basically, we do wholesale and retails.

Is that the only project you have at hand at the moment?

Right now, all we are focusing on is the launch of my perfume line into the market, which is coming up very soon. We are going to unveil it on that day and launch it into the market. It is a huge project and is not a child’s play. My team is working so hard and we are making progress, and I’m so thankful to God. At the moment, that’s what I’m occupied with because it has taken all over me and has kept me so busy and occupied, trying to put things right, as planned. The launch is paramount. Secondly, we are trying to bring in another baby into the market, which is my hair line called Sophia’s Hair product. That too, is one of the things that I have been working seriously on. I won’t say it is something new to me because I have been selling hair products for five years now. But then, it was not branded. The new work is to reinvent it and brand it because I am a restless person when it comes to business. I try to look into the market every time to see what is selling and see how I venture into that and make it successfully. I don’t joke with my business. I am a very strict businesswoman. I don’t compromise, even my friends knows that. But in all, I strive so hard to satisfy my customers and move higher.

What inspired you to launch a perfume line?

Actually, the idea came up in 2012. It was not just because I have this perfume addiction, but the sense of smell is considered a right brain activity, which rules emotions, memory and creativity. Also, perfume can help people cover up a bad smell. I am a businesswoman to the core. I made a lot of research and I understood the segment of the market before I ventured into it, so as to make a success out of it. I know it won’t be that easy bringing it to reality without putting so much effort; so, I started working on it. I had a discussion with a group of companies and finally, Starline Company became interested. My joy knows no bound because this company has been in existence for over 40 years and has a guiding principle of perseverance, hard work, honesty and integrity. They are quality-conscious and their processes are very transparent. So, I am lucky to be associated with the company and I thank God for that.

Can you tell us the effectiveness of this new product?

This perfume called Sophia’s Secret is a wonderful product and has a unique fragrance, which can last for many days. The product is something you can have on you and smell nice because it is made of a special blend of essential oils, which is Sophia’s Secret (that’s my little secret behind it). We extracted essential and special oils from plant substances by several methods and blended them. It went through steam distillation, solvent extraction, effleurage, maceration and expression before it came to life. The fragrance is nice and it really worth the hard work.

What are the challenges you are facing in this new venture?

Wow! The challenges are so much that I don’t want to go into it because I believe that one must encounter challenges in every business one wants to go into. For one to be successful in any business, one must take up the challenges and take the risk as well. I don’t entertain any fear or let anything distabilise me. I must say it is not easy; it is very challenging and capital-intensive. It takes lots of time and energy. There is also the challenge of working with people you don’t know before as well as reaching an agreement with them that will benefit both parties involved in the business. But we are making a good process and everything is working out right. I am happy for the opportunity because it shows that, the work force is strong for us to be able to have achieved a good result and put it up for people to have a feel of what we have brought out for them to complement their beauty and taste.

How affordable is the perfume and what are your marketing strategy?

The perfume is very affordable; a product everybody can afford without breaking the bank. The company I partnered with has distributors all over the West Africa sub-Saharan region and all over Nigeria. So, it’s going to be distributed all over Nigeria, West Africa and along the sub-Saharan region. But they have their headquarters in Abia State. So, I won’t be the one distributing, but the company will. That’s part of the agreement I had with the company because it is going to be a combination of upfront and profit shared. You can also get it from Added Glamour Boutique too.

How spiritual are you?

I believe so much in the power of prayer. Nothing can succeed easily without prayers. Pray more about all things and I’m sure by so doing, your relationship will work out better. There is no magic about it. We are all human. Tempers are bound to go up, once in a while. But how you manage it and try to comport yourselves matter a lot.