Following a recent post on X in which he criticised top Nollywood filmmakers for overlooking the structural value of international film festivals, Taiwo Egunjobi has offered further context, stressing why the industry should take these platforms more seriously.
Egunjobi, known for his reflective storytelling style, spoke with The Nollywood Reporter about how the continued disregard for festival opportunities affects both the industry’s narrative depth and its distribution potential.
As a filmmaker working in Nigeria, the Fire and Moth director acknowledged the pressures of recoupment, survival, and market realities. However, he noted that Nollywood’s limited presence in global spaces has slowed the industry’s evolution. He pointed to other national cinemas that use festivals to build co-production pipelines, secure institutional funding, and expand into new markets. In Nigeria, he said, the focus often leans toward volume and speed, resulting in commercial resilience but limiting long-term structural growth.
“What this has cost us is access to sustainable external markets, particularly within the Black diaspora, where cultural curiosity exists without consistent supply. Instead of structuring deliberate pathways into London, Atlanta, Toronto, and the wider African diaspora economy, we allowed visibility to remain scattered and opportunistic rather than systematic,” he said.
He added that the industry’s resistance to international festivals has also affected its storytelling sharpness, diversity, and the development of a robust cinematic language. While Nollywood’s ability to survive local market pressures is significant, he argued that domestic circulation alone is no longer enough for long-term sustainability.
Egunjobi advised rising filmmakers to treat international festivals as industry infrastructure, not afterthoughts. Approaching these platforms with the same level of planning as production, he said, prevents them from being reduced to trophies instead of tools for global expansion.
For established filmmakers, he emphasised the need to use their influence deliberately. He noted that the credibility, access, and resources that festivals provide should be strategically deployed, as their participation shapes industry norms. “When top filmmakers take festivals seriously, the ecosystem follows,” he said.
“The danger is not in choosing to stay local. The danger is in desiring a commercially healthy industry while simultaneously avoiding the global arenas where cultural value, narrative influence, and long-term capital are negotiated.”
Egunjobi concluded by clarifying that global validation is not a requirement for every Nigerian filmmaker. Many create work for their communities, language groups, or immediate social realities, which he described as a legitimate choice.
What remains essential, he said, is that Nollywood as a whole maintains a meaningful and consistent international presence.