Nigerian Filmmakers Accuse Cinemas Of Sabotaging December Releases

According to Ireporter Online, prominent Nigerian filmmakers Toyin Abraham, Niyi Akinmolayan, and Ini Edo have accused cinema operators of deliberately undermining their films through unfair screening practices.

The producers allege that certain cinemas have been falsely declaring screenings as sold out, assigning inconvenient showtimes, and limiting daily showings to a single screening. Toyin Abraham, whose latest release Oversabi Aunty has reportedly been sidelined in several cinemas, revealed that she is not generating revenue from the film.

“They sell another ticket to people and take them to my movie hall,” Abraham said, criticizing cinemas for scheduling early morning and late-night screenings that she described as commercially unviable. “Some cinemas will give you 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. A 10 a.m. showtime, how do you expect it to sell?” she asked.

Niyi Akinmolayan, director of Colours of Fire, expressed frustration over cinemas allegedly collecting money for tickets but refusing to show his film. He warned that he would publicly name cinemas and managers if the issue persisted.

Ini Edo, a first-time producer, shared video recordings of disgruntled cinema-goers on her Instagram page, describing the experience as exhausting. “As a first-timer, I learned on the go with humility and commitment, yet faced intentional frustration despite the sacrifice and investment poured into this project. But God is bigger than every barrier, bigger than gatekeeping and intimidation,” she wrote.

These complaints shed light on concerns about screen time allocation during peak cinema periods, with December being one of the most competitive months for Nigerian film releases.