In Nollywood, finishing a film is only half the story; the harder part begins when the lights come on. Between producers chasing viral moments and distributors trying to fill cinema seats, the journey from script to screen is a gamble of strategy, taste, and timing.
Few people understand that delicate dance better than Victoria Ogar, Head of Distribution at FilmOne Entertainment, one of Nigeria’s biggest film distributors.
In a candid conversation, Ogar broke down the real economics of Nollywood, how distributors decide which films make it to cinemas, why some titles never recoup their budgets, and what separates a commercial hit from a creative heartbreak.
Her insights reveal not just how the industry works, but why many filmmakers struggle to turn passion projects into profitable ventures.
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What Happens When Your Film Goes Viral?
We started with a simple question: what happens when a film suddenly catches fire online?
“When a film goes viral, it means the film has already been released,” Ogar explained. “So for us to pick it up from there, then it means that we are the distributors. You can’t pick up a film you don’t have rights to.”
But she also made a key distinction: there’s a difference between a film that’s gone viral because of a marketing campaign and one that’s already out in the world. “If a film hasn’t been released and it’s going viral from promotion, that’s a different conversation,” she said.
“But once it’s out, it’s already under distribution, and whoever owns that right controls what happens next.”
How FilmOne Decides Which Films to Distribute
Getting your film distributed by FilmOne isn’t automatic. The company receives countless submissions every year, and only a few make the cut. According to Ogar, it starts with a preview copy.
“We would watch the film and look out for certain criteria,” she said. “First is the story, does it have strength? Are the actors commercial enough? Is the duration good for cinema showtimes?”
Duration, surprisingly, plays a big role. “The longer your film, the fewer showtimes you get,” she explained.
“Especially in a busy landscape where multiple films are competing for screens. So we always advise that a Nollywood film should stay under 90 minutes, or at most one hour 45 minutes. Anything above two hours becomes a stretch.”
Then comes the story’s marketability. “Some good films can’t sell,” she said matter-of-factly. “Because they don’t speak to the cinema audience. The cinema audience likes something spicy, exciting, and fun. If your film doesn’t speak to that, it’s difficult to put it in cinemas and expect a return that covers your production budget.”
In other words, not every great film is a cinema film.
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What Makes a Film “Commercial”?
Commercial, in Ogar’s world, doesn’t mean shallow; it means marketable.
“Sometimes a producer just wants to tell a story and isn’t focused on making money,” she said. “But most producers expect to make money. So we look at the subject matter, is it too heavy? Does it speak to a particular culture? Does it go against the country’s values or moral codes? Because we also have a censorship board that can stop a film from being released.”
Beyond the story, FilmOne assesses technical quality. “We look at production quality, camera angles, technicality, and sound.”
“Is the audio good? Is it fixable in post-production? Because you can’t bring a film to the cinema that looks like it was shot for YouTube. When you say big screen, everything should be big about it. It can’t be big screen and small things.”
That last line sums up the FilmOne philosophy: cinema demands scale.
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How Films Actually Make Money
Once a film hits cinemas, how does the money flow?
“The ability to exploit the film across multiple platforms,” Ogar said. “We have different windows and cycles in terms of monetisation.”
First comes theatrical release, the traditional route. After that, the film can be licensed to other platforms like In-Flight Entertainment, streaming services, TV networks, or even festivals.
“In-Flight is one of the means,” she said. “When you’re flying and you watch a Nollywood film, that’s a deal. Another is S-VOD, subscription video on demand, like Netflix or Prime Video. Everybody wants that because they pay the highest. Those deals often help producers break even.”
However, she noted that streaming deals are not revenue shares; they’re usually licensing fees paid upfront. “They give you money up front, and they’re not sharing anything with you. That’s if you get a Netflix or Prime deal.”
And if you don’t? “Then you look for smaller streaming platforms,” she continued. “There are quite a few now, like Kava, a streaming platform for African titles, powered by the Filmhouse Group and Inkblot.”
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The Long Game of Film Exploitation
For Ogar, a film’s earning potential doesn’t end with its first release. “Distributing a film has no manual,” she said. “You can’t say, ‘I’ll make all my money in two years.’ It’s an unending cycle. You keep exploiting the film as long as you can find platforms to buy it.”
Some titles, she added, are still making money ten years after release. “Because of the availability of platforms, a good film can keep earning. You just have to keep finding new spaces to show it.”
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The Harsh Reality of Cinema Earnings
Then there’s the question that every filmmaker dreads: how much do you need to make at the box office to break even?
Why Some Cinemas Reject Films, Even From FilmOne
It’s a Business, Not Sentiment
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Finishing a Nollywood Film Is Easy. Making Money Off It Is the Real Story Read More
