Veteran Nollywood actress Keji Yusuf has opened up about the financial setback she suffered with her first self-produced movie, describing it as a painful initiation into the business side of filmmaking.

Yusuf, reflecting on her journey in the industry, revealed that the challenges began at the point of distribution, a recurring issue for many independent filmmakers.

“I didn’t make money with my first produced movie,” she admitted. “Back then, there were lots of challenges in movie distribution, so someone advised me to become an independent marketer. I agreed because I felt that selling the film myself would be better.”

Her plans were further disrupted when the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board introduced a new regulation shortly after she had dubbed 10,000 copies of the movie and printed promotional materials.

Seeking a solution, a fellow actress introduced Yusuf to a marketer in Alakuko, Lagos. They agreed that she would first sell the foreign rights of the film before mass distribution.

However, Yusuf later discovered that the marketer had released the movie without her consent and altered the ownership credits.

“One day, while watching TV at home, I heard the soundtrack of my movie in an advert,” she said. “This marketer had changed the cover photo, designed another jacket, and even made himself the executive producer. He used my picture very small behind some other actors — on a film I funded completely and had finished before giving him to the market.”

The situation was eventually escalated to a senior colleague who intervened, ensuring that the marketer remitted proceeds from the movie sales.

Yusuf’s experience highlights the vulnerabilities faced by independent filmmakers in Nigeria, particularly regarding distribution and intellectual property protection.