Nollywood actress and producer Omoni Oboli, who was recently awarded a Pacesetters Awards by the Film Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, at the Investiture Awards 2016, held at the Rockview Hotel, Festac Town, speaks on what makes the award special and different from others.
YOU have won many awards in the past, what makes this one different?
This is quite different because it’s from the Film Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, which I am also a member, knowing full well that without them Nollywood will not be where it is today. From day one, they have been behind Nollywood; pushing with their work, and knowing well that it is going to get better as time goes on.
And then recognising a very young producer like me, I still count myself to be young in this field. And to think that I am a Pacesetter; for me that is a huge honour. And I wasn’t supposed to be in this country, but I had to stay back to receive this particular award. It is major, it is really very big.
How does the award make you feel?
The Film Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria honoured me with the Pacesetters award. Who would have thought that little I would be recognised by the founders and the pillars of this industry? Whatever you find to do, do it with diligence! I don’t joke with my work; I give it 110% of me! May God bless us all and bring us before great men. Always remember that I love you all
Your movies are known to have sold out. What inspired them?
My recent movie, Okafor’s Law, is yet to be released. But for me I base my movies on my everyday experiences, stories that I hear from what people discuss. And then I work on them and make stories out of them.Okafor’s Law, for instance, is something that is widely known in Nigeria. It simply means that if a man has been with a woman before, he will always have access to that woman; that is what the Okafor’s law means.
So I was having a conversation with a group of friends, and I was told that is what it means, and one of them said why don’t you make a movie out of it? And here we are today. It is usually things that happen around me that I base my stories on.
Why do you run your movies in the cinemas, before going on home videos?
The cinema is another distribution channel. So what you do when you make a movie is to try and explore other channels. So one of them is the cinema; which is what I do.
Being a busy person, how do you combine both work and home?
For me, I have always known the most important things in life; and one of the most import things is my family and they come first. That’s why as an actor, you don’t see me jumping from one set to the other because I have got to have time with my family. There are times that I don’t do anything for months; you will only see me marketing my movies online and other channels. You will not actively see me on movie sets. That is because I plan to have quality time with my family.
Could that be related to why you took a break years back?
That was after graduation. I got married right after university and started having kids. So it was not like I went for any special trying.
Interview Credit: The Nation
