“Stop Announcing How Much Your Movies Made at the Cinema” , Biodun Stephen Tells Filmmakers

Nollywood filmmaker Biodun Stephen has urged her colleagues to stop publicly announcing their cinema earnings, arguing that the practice puts unnecessary pressure on other filmmakers and encourages unhealthy comparisons.

Speaking during a podcast interview, Stephen said box office figures had increasingly become a measure of success in the industry, leaving some filmmakers feeling pressured to achieve similar results.

“I think that we really should do away with the announcements,” she said.

The filmmaker added that publicising cinema earnings could make others believe that box office figures were the only way to measure their achievements.

“I feel like this is a distraction and it puts pressure on those other people who feel as if that is the determinant and that’s how you determine my success,” she said.

Using the slippers business as an example, Stephen explained that people often rush into ventures simply because someone else appears to be succeeding, without understanding the effort and strategy behind that success.

She argued that the same pattern could be seen in Nollywood, where filmmakers might focus on producing commercially successful films without fully understanding what made other projects perform well.

Stephen also questioned the emphasis some filmmakers place on international recognition before establishing a strong reputation within Nigeria.

“It’s great to hunger for more, but I always say, have you even conquered Nigeria that you can stand and say that if I go to Kano, they know me as an actor?” she asked.

She further argued that box office earnings alone could not determine a film’s quality or its potential to reach international audiences.

According to her, a film could generate substantial cinema revenue without necessarily being exceptional, while a well made production with export potential might earn considerably less.

Explaining her approach to filmmaking, Stephen said her priority was to fulfil her purpose through storytelling rather than chase audience figures.

“I’m doing it because I am living a life of purpose, I’m not chasing the numbers, I’m not chasing the audience,” she said.

She added that the impact of her work on people’s lives mattered more to her than receiving awards.

“When people call me to pray and cry and say thank you so much, Jesus, my work is done, no award,” she said.