Nollywood Filmmakers Call Out Cinemas Over Showtimes and Screening Practices

Several Nollywood actors and filmmakers are speaking up about what they see as unfair treatment by some cinema operators in Nigeria. The complaints focus on poor showtimes, wrong information given to customers, and films being listed but not shown.

This conversation has grown louder recently after several high-profile producers shared their experiences online.

Actress and producer Ini Edo spoke out after issues with her movie A Very Dirty Christmas. She posted on social media that some cinemas changed her film’s showtimes to times when few people go to the cinema. She said this made it hard for fans to watch the movie.

Ini Edo also shared messages from fans who were told the movie was not showing, even though it was supposed to be. She called it unfair and discouraging, especially after all the work that went into the film. She also said some cast members were treated badly during cinema meet-and-greet events.

Actress and producer Toyin Abraham also complained about how her film Oversabi Aunty was treated in cinemas. She said some cinema staff told people the movie was sold out when it was not. In some cases, she said tickets were sold but customers were taken into other movie halls instead.

Toyin pointed out that early showtimes, like 10 am, make it hard for audiences to attend. She urged fans to insist on watching their film and to make sure their tickets were checked properly. She said she had proof of the issues she described. Later, she suggested some cinemas had adjusted and done the right thing.

Filmmaker Niyi Akinmolayan also joined the discussion with concerns about his movie Colours of Fire. He said some cinemas showed the film on their listings and sold tickets, but then told customers the movie was not showing when they got there.

In a video he shared, Akinmolayan said that December is a tough season because filmmakers compete with many films and economic challenges. He said cinemas should honour their schedules and allow people who paid to see films to actually watch them.

He warned that if things do not change, he would name cinemas that continue these practices. He also stressed that filmmakers need to stand together.

Funke Akindele, Nigeria’s highest-grossing Nollywood director and filmmaker, has also experienced problems with her recent movie Behind the Scenes. Fans have raised complaints about cinemas disrupting screenings midway or not showing the film at all.

On Twitter, one fan wrote: "Ma I hope you get to see this message. I went to a cinema today, it was supposed to show at 4 pm. I went earlier than 4, and they told us there were no more tickets for the day. We just wasted fare, ma… please help us look into it ma @funkeakindele."

Other fans reported that showtimes were postponed even after buying tickets. For example, Behind the Scenes was listed to show at 12:45 pm, but when fans arrived, they were told it was moved to 1:20 pm. This was reported at Imperial Cinema, Osogbo.

These complaints are not new. In 2018, actress Genevieve Nnaji spoke out when cinemas did not give her film Lionheart fair showings. At the time, she said that her main concern was not money but giving people the chance to see her first film as a director. Despite her efforts, cinemas did not show the movie as expected.

Later, Rita Dominic’s film La Femme Anjola was removed from cinemas early. Director Mildred Okwo said that cinemas could do what they wanted, even if it was unfair.

For producers like Ini Edo, Toyin Abraham, Niyi Akinmolayan, and Funke Akindele, unfair cinema practices can hurt a film’s success. When showtimes are poor or screenings are changed without notice, audiences cannot watch the films they want.

The issue goes deeper than social media complaints. Many in the industry believe there needs to be more transparency and fairness in how films are scheduled and shown. Distributors and regulators could play a bigger role in protecting filmmakers and ensuring all films get a fair chance.

Until systems change, these problems are likely to continue, and filmmakers will keep raising their voices to be heard.