What
Netflix’s involvement in Nigeria’s massive film industry really means
(By Alessandro
Jedlowski) - Big
investors seem to be mainly interested in Nollywood's already established
popularity with African audiences
Global streaming service Netflix set its eyes a few years ago on
Nigeria’s film industry, better known as Nollywood. Distribution of Nigerian
movies on Netflix started around
2015. At the time the American giant bought the rights of blockbusters such as
Kunle Afolayan’s October 1st,
Biyi Bandele’s Fifty and several others, after they had
already been distributed in Nigerian cinemas.
During the Toronto International Film Festival 2018, Netflix announced the
acquisition of worldwide exclusive distribution rights for Nollywood star
Genevieve Nnaji’s debut film as director, the comedy Lionheart. The film
marked the first Netflix original film from Nigeria. Many saw this as the
beginning of a new era in the relationship between one of the world largest
streaming platforms and Africa’s most prolific film industry.
