Adventures in Nollywood: How to Make a Film in Three Days

A few months ago we held a screenwriting competition because we wanted a script so we could make a movie in Nigeria. Why, you’re asking?? Because Nigeria's movie industry pumps out more films a year than Hollywood. In fact, Nollywood, as it’s been dubbed, is the second largest film industry in the world, in terms of movies produced – second only to India. It makes more than 2,000 low-budget films a year, most of which go straight to DVD, which is the medium of choice for Nigerians.
Despite enormous problems with piracy, Nollywood generates about $600 million a year.
We wanted to get an unvarnished view of the business and we decided making a movie there would be the ultimate insider way to do it.
We took our winning script, called “Butterfly,” written by a first time screenwriter named William J. Haran, and we sent it to a producer in Lagos, the heart of Nollywood, and the biggest city in Africa.
The producer, Eke Ume, a veteran in the industry, assembled a crew of 14 and made the movie in three days on an extremely low budget.
In a country where more than half the population lives in poverty, electricity is in short supply and crime and corruption are not, Nollywood filmmakers have lots more to contend with than your average LA-based auteur. Take a look at the “Making of” the short film called “Butterfly”.


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