Movie Director & Actress Biodun Stephen Speaks on Being a Filmmaker: "My Place is Behind The Camera"
- Nigerian movie director, actress and comedian Biodun Stephen, is set to premiere her movie on Amazon Prime in December
- While having an interesting chat with Legit.ng, the accomplished filmmaker spoke on the highs and lows of being in the movie industry
- Biodun Stephen also expressed her love for family-oriented movies while also disclosing her plans
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Chatting exclusively with Biodun Stephen, one of Nollywood's renowned multi-talents, was an honour.
The Nigerian director, producer, comedian, and actress debuted in the Nigerian film industry in 2014 with the movie The Visit. Since then, the accomplished director has directed over 30 movies and counting.
Source: Instagram
Her new movie, Roses and Ivy, will be on Amazon Prime on December 13, delivering a wonderful cinematic experience this festive season.
Her counterparts, Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham and Mercy Aigbe, are also releasing their movies this festive month. In an exclusive chat, Legit.ng asked if she was scared of competing with them by releasing her film Roses and Ivy this period.
She said:
“There is a market for everyone; Funke Akindele Toyin Abraham, and Mercy Aigbe are going to the cinemas. I’m just exploring streaming, which is Amazon Prime. When the audience is done at the cinema, they can head back home to watch or start at home and end up at the cinema.
"I think the goal for the season is to entertain and make sure that everyone has a wonderful cinematic experience this season. Everyone has their audience, and I applaud them.”
Concerning her preference between acting and directing, in which she excels, Biodun Stephen shared where her heart lay.
“Acting would always be my first love, but I think my space is behind the camera. The acting is good, but it never really kicked off. I enjoy telling stories and making films come to life. I love that I can see how a story comes to life before my eyes.”
Biodun Stephen's comedic side, attraction to love stories
We have seen the phenomenal Nigerian actress explore her comedic side in some movies and even acting roles. She told Legit.ng about her plans, noting that she has discovered that comedy is a part of her.
In her words:
"I look forward to exploring my comedic side only in front of the camera, and definitely not a stand-up. Whether as an entertainer or an actor, I'm all for it.”
Biodun Stephen has produced quite a number in the past, giving an insight into her attraction to the love genre. She, however, shed light on where she is headed.
"I think that at the beginning of my career, I did romantic movies. But I do more family-oriented and human-angle stories, human relationships, and the confluence of the rich and the poor. I’ve rooted myself in family drama, and human relationship dynamics is where I'm going now. The core of my expertise is exploring human relationship dynamism.”
As we all know, the Nigerian film industry is growing exponentially compared with the past 10 years. For someone who has been around for a while, she shared what she thinks needs improvement.
"I think that Nigerians have such a colourful culture, really dramatic, and there are stories embedded in and around us; and we have seen this through the coming of international streaming platforms, international collaborations, partnerships, some of our local content going global and one of our strongest selling point is in the Nigerianess of who we are.
"We are bold and not afraid to take the leap and bold step, which is fascinating. Our mannerisms and persona, it's such a joy to see how our music and film are really travelling, and i think that our strong selling point is our authenticity. We have our flaws but still, a Nigerian person will take charge, we have a presence.
Toyin Abraham features King Sunny Ade
Legit.ng previously reported that Toyin Abraham shared an exciting post about getting King Sunny Ade to feature in her new movie.
The actress has been going on about her new movie, Alakada Bad and Boujee, and enthusiastically promoting the project.
In a new post, Toyin expressed that getting the Fuji King on set is truly a dream come true for her.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
